In an effort to lessen the financial burden of receiving dental care, many practices now provide in-house membership plans with discounts for participating patients.
In-house dental memberships begin as low as $400.00/year per member. Each additional member is $320.00/year. Most preventative and restorative dental services can be fully or partially covered through an in-house membership:
Preventative & Restorative Services
Full Coverage
- Bitewing X-rays (1 per year)
- Adult Cleaning (2x per year)
- Pediatric Cleaning (2x per year)
- Fluoride Varnish (1 per year)
Partial Coverage
- Routine Exams (2x per year)
- Periodontal Treatment (2x per year)
- Composite/Amalgam Fillings
- Crown Repairs
- Inlays & Onlays
- Scaling & Root Planing
- Dentures
- Maxillofacial Surgery
- Nightguards & Biteguards
- Sedatives
Some Restrictions May Apply
To qualify for coverage through an in-house membership, you will have to meet specific criteria:
- Benefits expire one year after enrollment; unused benefits cannot be rolled over.
- Membership coverage cannot be used in conjunction with other insurance plans.
- Patients will not be covered for services deemed unnecessary by their dentist.
- Dental care can only be offered to patients who maintain sufficiently good health.
- Fluoride varnish and MPDS treatment can be administered one time annually.
- Services paid for via Worker’s Compensation do not qualify for membership benefits.
- Coverage does not apply to work received at a hospital or non-participating practice.
- Materials used to rehabilitate, restore, or medicate patients is not coverable.
- Surgical procedures (i.e. oral maxillofacial, periodontal) are exempt from benefits.
- The cost of lost or stolen appliances (i.e. dentures, retainers) will not be expensed.
Acceptable Payment Methods
There are many options available to those who are unable to pay for their dental work upfront in entirety. Most dentists will accept the following payment methods:
Cash & Check Payments
Discounted dental care is usually offered to patients who pay their bills with cash or check money, since these forms of payment are more reliable than credit care plans. As a patient, you may be able to by pass service taxes or third-party financing fees when you pay with cash.
Dental Insurance
If you’re fortunate enough to receive insurance coverage through your employer, you might only have to pay as little as 10% of the cost of services from out-of-pocket. Otherwise, you have the option of selecting a dental plan through your current monthly health insurance provider to gain coverage for basic dental care.
Care Credit & Credit Cards
More often than not, the total cost of your dental work will be too much to pay all at once. Opening up a line of Care Credit through your dentist allows you to pay for services in manageable installments. You could also pay for outstanding work with a credit card issued through your financial institution.