Good oral health is the foundation for good overall health, but for millions of individuals and families, the cost of dental insurance–or even of receiving services under insurance–can be prohibitive, if they have access to it at all. However, there are other options to help make getting quality dental care more affordable, including financing and dental membership plans.
In Texas, only around 50% of people make regular visits to the dentist a part of their healthcare routine. In some areas of the state, up to 21% of residents have lost six or more teeth, and low-income families were the least likely to have teeth that were rated as “excellent” or “very good” in health.
One of the driving factors behind people’s lack of routine dental care is their access to insurance. Most families rely on employment-sponsored healthcare plans, which may or may not include dental coverage. In addition, those who don’t have dental insurance may not qualify for Medicaid, leaving them at a loss for how to pay for their dental care. In Texas, where people are least likely to be insured in the entire US, this means more than 730,000+ kids alone remain uninsured for the dental care they need and deserve.
Dental Depot of DFW is dedicated to providing high quality, affordable dental care to patients of all ages in and around the DFW metro area. In addition to compassionate, comprehensive care, Dental Depot of DFW also offers the latest in advanced technology, imaging, and diagnostics, as well as state-of-the-art facilities, and our friendly, welcoming staff is experienced in helping patients navigate the nuances of dental insurance, membership plans, and payment options. No matter what your financial situation is, Dental Depot of DFW can help you get the dental care you need, even if you don’t have insurance.
When people forgo routine dental services for them and/or their children because of cost, they increase the risk of illness for their entire families because small problems like cavities could be addressed early, but missing those small issues results in bigger, more serious problems that can become more expensive and more dangerous.
Infections, for example, can stem from untreated cavities and decay, and when they reach the dental pulp, they provide an avenue for increased bacteria to go anywhere in the body, including the bloodstream and the brain with devastating consequences.
To avoid costly, intensive, and potentially dangerous effects from poor oral health, it’s important to continue to see the dentist regularly. For those who do not have access to dental insurance, dental membership plans can help bridge the gap.
A dental membership plan is not a type of insurance. Instead, it charges flat rate fees (either yearly or monthly) in exchange for specific services or discounts, similar to subscription-based services like Netflix, you pay the same amount each month and know exactly what services you’re getting.
Good dental membership plans will include the basics of comprehensive oral care–such as exams, fluoride treatment, cleanings, and x-rays–on a set timetable. For patients who need treatment beyond these basics, the plan will provide a significant discount for the cost of procedures, like fillings.
One of the biggest advantages of a dental membership plan is its price. Most are significantly cheaper than maintaining a health insurance plan, and so some patients use a membership plan to replace their insurance entirely. Booking appointments is also easy, since the membership plan is integrated with a patient’s charts. There’s no need to provide insurance cards or verify coverage with an insurer; instead, the office will know immediately what is covered and what the price of a treatment might be if it is included in a discount. This allows patients to get immediate quotes for services they need with no worry they’ll be surprised by a bill later.
Patients can also choose which family members participate in a membership plan. Rates are determined on a per-person basis, so each person can enjoy coverage without needing to worry about bundling, eligibility, or classification. That being said, many dental membership plans offer incentives for entire families to participate, such as a reduced annual or monthly fee for more than one member.
There are three primary reasons why patients are increasingly opting for dental membership plans instead of or in addition to their traditional insurance coverage: price, transparency, and simplicity.
Dental membership plans only have patients pay for the care that they actually need and use. The basic recurring costs pay for routine treatments that every patient should be getting, such as regular cleanings, x-rays, and exams; beyond that, patients do not pay for treatments until they receive them. If you do need a service that isn’t included in the base price? You’ll still get a discount on it, and you don’t have to worry about what price the insurance negotiates
This approach is in contrast with how traditional dental insurance plans work, because most insurance premiums are set with the intent of compensating for the possibility that a patient may need more in-depth treatment in the future. Therefore, people are often paying for services they aren’t using, resulting in higher costs every year.
Ask people what they dislike about their insurance coverage, and most will say that they are frustrated with their lack of knowledge. In most cases, patients don’t know how much a procedure costs until they already have it done, after which the insurance will negotiate how much it is willing to pay. This can lead to unpleasant financial surprises and leave people hesitant to get the care they need for fear of the unpredictability.
However, dental membership plans always provide clear detail on how much a service will cost—and patients get to know this information at any time so they can make informed decisions. This also puts power back in the hands of the patient, who can proactively discuss their financial concerns with their dental team to determine a strategy for caring for their oral health while saving for procedures they might not have expected.
Another advantage of dental membership plans is the simplicity of their management. Because they are operated by individual dental offices, they often provide a lot more flexibility in payment and in appointment scheduling. Patients might be able to pay their subscription fee online, or they may qualify to spread payments out into a payment plan because they can work directly with the office instead of a monolithic insurance agency. You can access your account any time, and, there are no caps or waiting periods–you can start using your plan immediately
In addition to membership plans, you can also make dental care more affordable in the absence of insurance with options like:
Dental Depot of DFW is a doctor-owned dental support organization (DSO) that operates like a family-run business. That means we’re committed to upholding Dental Depot’s nearly 50-year legacy of providing high-quality dental care with superior customer service at a common-sense price. In addition to multiple locations and easy, flexible scheduling, Dental Depot of DFW offers an array of options to help you afford the care you need, from accepting major insurances and CareCredit to individualized payment and financing plans and our own in-house dental membership plan.
Everyone deserves exceptional dental care that fits both your budget and your busy schedule, and at Dental Depot of DFW, that belief is at the heart of all we do. Find out how Dental Depot of DFW can help you and everyone in your family take care of your oral health without spending a fortune and schedule an appointment today.
