Dental Insurance for Students: The Top Ten Questions to Ask

Published Oct 12 2009

When you're a student, finding time and money to keep yourself healthy can be difficult. If you're working a part time job or a full time student, producing the funds to take care of your teeth can be daunting. Classes, studying and writing papers taking up your time, too, so you don't want to waste time trying to figure out how to get what you need for the price you want. Below are the top 10 things you need to know when looking for dental insurance for students. Read through and decide what's best for you!

1. What is my monthly premium? This is the first and usually the easiest question to answer. Dental insurance for students normally ranges from $18 to $85. Finding a low monthly rate is important, but it can often can cost you in other areas such as your deductible and maximum.

2. What is my deductible? The first question naturally leads to the second. A deductible is the amount you'll have to pay on your own before you'll get the benefit of any coverage. Deductibles can be a yearly cumulative dollar amount or an amount on each visit to the dentist.

A deductible of around $50 for independent dental insurance for students is common. In this case, you'll pay almost as much in your deductible as the dentist would regularly charge for a routine check up. Yet, if you have a cavity, your dental insurance will pay whatever is above your deductible. However, If you need a little more extensive dental work you may reach the maximum amount of coverage.

3. What is my maximum? Just like a deductible determines when the insurer starts to pay, your maximum is the point where the insurer stops paying. For example, suppose you visit the dentist in January and your bill is $350. Your dental insurance for students would pay anything over your deductible. In this case, they pay $300.

However, if you have have a toothache in June and your bill is $950, you would again pay your deductible and also anything over your maximum. Since the insurer already paid $300, they only have to pay another $700 before you hit your $1000 maximum. You would have to pay the remaining $250 for this visit as well as the full bill for any other dental visits for the rest of the year. This could be especially important if you anticipate needing a lot of dental work.

4. How much will I actually pay at the dentist? Even after your deductible is met, you may still be responsible for a portion of your dental fees. For instance, after you have paid the deductible, you insurer may only pay something like 80% of the remaining fees and you'll pay 20%. On routine procedures 20% will not be that much, but on any work like crowns, root canals, etc. you will be paying a heftier fee.

5. How soon can I go to the dentist? Waiting periods are a common part of dental insurance for students and partially depend on why you need to go to the dentist. If you need a regular procedure the waiting period may only be a few weeks or a month. However, if you are needing a non-routine procedure done (such as a filling, crown, root canal, etc.) your waiting period could be anywhere between 3 months and 6 months. The waiting period can be especially difficult if you are in pain now or know that you need work done immediately.

6. Will dental insurance for students cover my current problem? If you are currently in pain or have had an oral exam and know that you need a particular procedure done, dental insurance for students often doesn't cover those procedures because they are considered "pre-existing." Pre-existing conditions do not fall under what dental insurance for students will typically cover.

7. What dentist can I see? Depending on the type of insurance you are able to get as a student, you will most likely have access to certain dentists on your plan. Make sure there are dentists in your area who accept your carrier's coverage. Also, make sure that the dentists provide quality service. This can be done by searching the dentist's name on Google or another search engine and looking for reviews. There a lots of review sites available where you can read or post reviews of dentists.

8. What are my limitations? One of the final things to consider are the limitations on your dental insurance for students. If you need braces or any oral surgery, your policy frequently will not include those procedures. Many students find that they need their wisdom teeth removed during college. This procedure is performed by a specialist which is rarely included in such policy benefits.

9. Can I trust the company? The last point to consider beyond the money and conditions is the reliability of the company. Can you trust them to help you get what you need? What are their satisfaction policies, membership and provider network like? If these are difficult to find out think twice before signing on to a plan with them. Checking a company's standing with the Better Business Bureau is also a great place to start.

10. Are there other options available? If you're feeling overwhelmed by all this information and are not sure if dental insurance really is an option for you, don't worry! There are alternatives available to you! Dental discount plans provide significant discounts on dental procedures for a small monthly fee (usually a good deal less than insurance). Usually, dental plans don't have a limit on what they will discount per year, and you can start receiving discounts right away. If you're interested in a dental plan, DentalWikipedia.com provides helpful suggestions about some of the best dental discount plans available.

Taking care of yourself isn't easy. But your health is important and it just takes a little extra homework to make a well-informed decision when choosing an oral care solution. Hopefully this Top 10 will help you in your research.

For information about alternatives to dental insurance, visit http://www.1Dental.com/.