Dental Industry News and Dental Care Tips

Several days ago, prior to writing the post on how to “Find a Dental Plan in 6 Steps,” I had a conversation with my parents about the rising costs of dental care. My parents are both retired, in their mid-fifties, and do not have dental insurance. Prior to retirement, both had excellent dental insurance benefits. However, they feel at this point that their current dental care needs do not justify the expense associated with paying for dental insurance.

While there are certainly differing opinions about what is in their best interests, I tend to think that since they can afford it, dental insurance is an intelligent decision. Why? Well, at their age, or any age for that matter, it’s a good idea to prepare for the unexpected. Unfortunately, being caught unprepared for a dental emergency could spell financial disaster for the uninsured. While I communicated these concerns to my parents, they seemed resolved to stick it out without insurance. That’s when I suggested considering a discount dental plan. After all, a discount dental plan is quite inexpensive(around $120/yr for a family on average), and offers significant discounts on many procedures. With a miminum of two cleanings and an x-ray for each of my parents every year, the discount dental plan would pay for itself in short order. My parents were pleasantly surprised to hear about discount dental plans and their ability to save them money. Sadly, my parents were unaware that discount dental plans even exist.

Are Dental Plans Still Unknown

My parents certainly aren’t alone. But, just how few of us know about discount dental plans? That’s what I want to find out with the newest Dental Heroes poll.