Johnson Dental Blog

What is Dental Insurance?

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What is Dental Insurance?

• Dental insurance is a contract between your employer and a dental insurance company. The benefits you receive are based on the terms of the contract that was negotiated between your employer and the dental insurance company. The coverage has nothing to do with what the patient needs or wants.
• The goal of most insurance companies is to provide only basic care for specific dental services. The services selected are based on the cost of the policy to your employer and the negotiated arrangements made with the insurance company.
• The benefits that you receive from the insurance company have nothing to do with achieving a high quality, complete result in your dental work.

Covered and Non-covered Services

• Dental services, which are needed or wanted, may not be covered by insurance. Our goal is to help you achieve and maintain optimal dental care, which is NOT the goal of the insurance company.
• There are dollar maximums set on dental insurance for each year. Once this limit is reached, no other services will be covered by the insurance company, regardless how essential the service may be to your dental health. Each year, if you do not use these available dollars, they are lost. You cannot accumulate dollars, from one year to another.
• Insurance companies also put limits on frequency of regular care (cleanings, x-rays, examinations, fluoride, etc.), and limits on restorative care
• These limits may NOT be in your best interest.
• Each policy puts various limits on frequency of restorations, crowns, partials and dentures. You will need to check with your insurance company for these specific limitations.
• Usually, cosmetic dentistry, implants, occlusion or bite adjustments, TMJ splints, and other services such as these, are not usually covered at all by insurance companies.
• We will not compromise your care based on restraints placed by an insurance company.

How Our Office Helps

• Our office will complete and submit dental insurance forms to the company to achieve the maximum reimbursement to which you are entitled. If payment is denied, for whatever reason, by the insurance company, it is the responsibility of the patient to make the payment.
• Some insurance companies take longer than others to issue payment. If necessary, our office will contact the insurance company directly, or ask for your help in dealing with your insurance company. They listen to you, the policy holder, more than us.
• Any time you have a question about dental insurance, please feel free to ask us.

Our Philosophy

• Our office remains dedicated to providing optimal care for every patient and working with you to achieve that goal, despite insurance limitations.
• We pride ourselves in continuing to provide high quality care to our patients.