Do I Need Dental Insurance?
If you typically need a lot of dental care, you should consider purchasing dental insurance. However, if you do not visit the dentist often or do not need extensive dental care, dental insurance may not be necessary for you.
For cost-effective, comprehensive health coverage, dental benefit plans can be an excellent addition to a membership with Mira. Mira provides access to $99 urgent care visits, low-cost lab testing, and discounts on prescription medicines. A membership with Mira paired with a dental benefit plan can help you take care of all of your health needs.
You Might Need Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is not imperative for everyone, but it can help you save money at the dentist in some cases. You may benefit from dental insurance if:
- You go to the dentist often for regular checkups and or cleanings.
- You often need additional services, such as fillings, when you go to the dentist.
- You have a large family with many children who also go to the dentist regularly.
- You are unable to pay the cost of dental procedures out-of-pocket.
However, if you go to the dentist infrequently and do not tend to need any additional dental services, dental insurance may not be necessary. It is always a good idea to compare how much you would pay out-of-pocket at the dentist with the amount you would pay for insurance.
Pros and Cons of Dental Insurance
Deciding whether to get dental insurance can be overwhelming, so Dr. Thomas J McCarthy, DDS at SportingSmiles, has helped us identify the main pros and cons of purchasing a dental plan.
Pros and Cons of Dental Coverage
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Dental insurance is great for the person that goes in for regular checkups and cleanings. | Many policies have waiting periods for specific procedures before you can access care. |
| Dental insurance is great if you have a large family with several children. | Deductibles and copays have increased on most policies in the recent past, and the policy will typically have a yearly cap. |
| Dental insurance can protect you from medical debt if you cannot pay for services at the time of care. | Sometimes it's cheaper to pay out of pocket than use your insurance. |
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Alexis Bryan MPH, is a recent graduate of Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. She is passionate about increasing access to care to improve health outcomes. Outside of work, she loves to travel, read, and pay too much attention to her plants.