Dental Insurance – Washington, DC

Maximize Your Benefits, Minimize Your Costs

Dental insurance is an incredibly valuable resource. Not only does its focus on preventive care help you to avoid oral health problems, but it is also there to help you out if you ever need restorative treatment. If you have coverage, we encourage you to use it at Aesthetic & Family Dentistry of Washington. Our team are experts at handling dental insurance, and we will do everything in our power to help you get the greatest value possible out of your policy.

Woman turning in dental insurance forms

Understanding How Dental Insurance Works

Dental team member showing patient dental insurance forms

There are several classifications of dental plans, including HMO (sometimes called DMO), PPO, and discount plans. PPO plans are the most common. While details vary from company to company and policy to policy, PPO coverage generally works something like this:

  • Preventive care: 100 percent covered
  • Minor restorative care: 70 – 80 percent covered
  • Major restorative care: 50 percent covered
  • Cosmetic treatment: Not covered
  • Orthodontics: Sometimes covered

Also, keep in mind that most PPO plans come with a deductible (what you must pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in), an annual maximum (the most that the insurance company will pay out for treatment within a year), and a waiting period (how long you must hold the policy before you are eligible for certain services).

What Is the Difference Between Dental and Medical Insurance?

Dentist and patient reviewing dental insurance forms

Dental insurance has a heavy focus on preventive care, and it is exclusive to conditions that affect oral health. Medical insurance has a much broader scope. While it cannot be used to cover preventive dental treatment, it sometimes covers oral health emergencies or major procedures. For example, it might cover root canal therapy or dental implant placement surgery. You will have to look at both your dental and medical policies to figure out how best to use your coverage to care for your teeth and gums.

In-Network vs. Out of Network

Dentist and dental patient reviewing dental insurance forms

Whether our dental office is in your insurance plan’s network or not, we will still do all we can to help you navigate your coverage and get the most out of it.

In-Network Coverage

Dental team member explaining in network coverage to dental patients

When a dental office is in-network with an insurance company, it means that they have a contract between them. That contract controls costs and passes savings on to the patients and the coverage provider. Insurance companies may even pay a greater percentage of the cost of procedures performed at in-network dental offices.

Our dental office is in-network with several major PPO plans, including:

Don’t see your plan? We likely take it! Reach out to our team today!

Out-of-Network

Dental team member reviewing out of network dental insurance claim

One of the best things about PPO plans is that they allow policyholders to visit any licensed dentist, regardless of whether that dentist is in the plan’s network, and still use their benefits. We are happy to file insurance claims for out-of-network patients. Simply give us a call to learn how we can help you enjoy the best of both worlds — top-tier dental care and low out of pocket costs.