Q: How does dental insurance work?

A: A dental plan is usually a contract made between your employer and an insurance company (e.g. Aetna, Cigna, Metlife, Delta). Your employer and the insurance company have negotiated what treatments are covered and how much they will cover. Employers generally cover some but not all of their employee's costs.

Q: What is an annual maximum?

A: This is the largest dollar amount your insurance company will pay within the year. Your employer has decided what your maximum amount of coverage is per year. Some policies run on a calendar year and other policies follow a fiscal year.

Q: Are my cleanings covered and how often?

A: A call to your insurance company or logging on to your insurance website can give you information about the coverage amount for preventive cleanings as well as the frequency of your cleanings per year. A word of caution, insurance companies can be very specific about having a cleaning every six months exactly, or six months plus one day, or twice anytime per year. Some insurance companies are realizing that patients truly need three cleanings per year to keep them healthy and their costs down. 

Q: Why won't my insurance company cover tooth-colored fillings?

Q: What dental products do you recommend?

Q: What is a sealant?

Q: Are xrays safe?

A: Your dental plan might have a "Least Expensive Alternative Treatment" clause. For example, your insurance may say you are covered at 80% for fillings, but the reality is that you are covered at 80% for mercury fillings. Mercury fillings are the least expensive treatment option so it may increase your out-of-pocket expense to opt for a better material. 

A: We recommend the Sonicare Diamond Clean toothbrush. We find that it is effective in removing plaque without causing damage to the gums. We also recommend ACT fluoride rinse to prevent cavities.

A: A dental sealant is a material that is applied to the grooves and pits of back teeth to prevent cavities from forming in these difficult to clean areas. We often place sealants on children when these adult molars first erupt. 

A: In this digital world, xrays are much safer now that we need very little radiation to give us crisp and diagnostic images. There is no need for toxic chemicals in the office to process film xrays. Digital xrays can reduce up to 90% of the radiation needed for standard film xrays.