It’s now official. Statistics on the morning news stated that one out of every three children in the United States has no form of dental care. This situation was brought to light by the unfortunate death of a twelve year old boy in Maryland, who actually was covered by Medicaid, but couldn’t find a dental care provider that would accept him. He had a tooth abscess that eventually spread infection to his brain. Apparently, the amount that Medicaid reimburses for the procedure that this boy needed wasn’t adequate enough for those dentists that were contacted.
It’s a tragedy any time something like this happens, but especially in this modern era. The United States has really dropped the ball on providing medical coverage to its citizens and the actual dental insurance policies available for sale here are either not adequate themselves or simply too expensive for many people to pay for. Private dental insurance for some families can run as much as $100.00 per month or more and for someone trying to support their family on under $20,000.00 a year, that’s a lot of money to put out, especially if there’s not an immediate need. Most dental insurance plans do not cover existing conditions either, unless you’ve owned the policy for more than a couple years and even then you still must pay a deductible and will have a maximum allowable annual benefit.
Most people don’t think of things like seeing a dentist unless there’s an actual need that occurs either personally or within the family. If they would change their thinking and get in to see a dentist for routine maintenance like cleanings and flouride treatments, they may not ever have any major dental expenses at all.
There are other options available for individuals, families and groups to see a dental care provider. These are known as Discount Dental Plans. These plans are not dental insurance, therefore you must still pay for your procedures at the time of your appointment, but by being a plan member you’ll receive a substantial discount off of the services performed. Most major discount plans save you anywhere from 10-60% on things like cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals and more. Some plans even allow for discounts on things like teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry.
Also, some local colleges allow their dental students to “practice” basic dental procedures for very low cost to the general public. These students are carefully monitored by qualified dentists while they perform these procedures. Lastly, if you do receive state or federal assistance, such as Medicaid, make it a priority to find a dental care provider that will accept your plan BEFORE it becomes an emergency. You should always have a list with phone numbers for your primary care doctor, dentist and any other emergency numbers.
What happened to this young boy recently is a terrible tragedy and really tugs at my heart, especially because it just didn’t have to happen. As a father of four children, I want everyone to be aware that there are inexpensive alternatives to traditional dental insurance that you can take advantage of in order to make certain that your child gets the dental care that they need.
You Can Now Get A Dental Plan For As Low As $79.95 Per Year. Get More Information Now By Visiting http://Discount-Dental.net or by clicking on Low Cost Dental Plans. Joe Stewart is a former Life And Health Insurance Agent that now works for himself by providing solid, expert information to consumers.
