Many people who buy dental insurance want to use it at once. Getting affordable dentistry sooner reduces your risk of oral issues, so that kind of impulse is only natural. Even so, your plan’s benefits won’t “kick in” until you get through your dental insurance waiting periods. As for what those are, don’t worry; your local dentist is here to explain things. Just keep reading to learn about dental insurance waiting periods, why they exist, and how they often work.
What’s a Dental Insurance Waiting Period?
Even if you’re eager, you can’t use a dental plan right after buying it. You’ll only access its key benefits once its designated waiting period is over.
A dental insurance waiting period is the time that must pass before your benefits apply. So long as it’s ongoing, your plan won’t cover certain dental services or treatments. This period of time also varies between insurance providers, lasting anywhere from a month to a year. How long your own lasts will depend on your plan and other factors.
Why Do These Periods Exist?
They may seem odd at first glance, but dental insurance waiting periods don’t exist for no reason. Insurance companies have an incentive to draft them.
These waiting periods make financial sense for plan providers. Thanks to their presence, you won’t just get dental insurance when you need dental work done right away. If you did that and dropped your policy right after treatment, the plan provider wouldn’t turn a profit. Instead, waiting periods make you pay monthly premiums even when your smile is healthy.
You could say the waiting periods are “insurance” for insurance companies. After all, they make it less costly for a plan provider to cover your dental care.
How Do These Periods Work?
In reality, these waiting periods don’t apply the same way to every dental treatment. The average plan organizes them according to three categories:
- Basic Care: Basic dental services like sealants and fillings usually have 3-6 month waiting periods.
- Preventive Care: In general, preventive dental care doesn’t involve waiting periods. You could get anything from X-rays and cleanings to fluoride treatments without a wait.
- Major Care: Major care consists of options like dental crowns, bridges, and implants, which are complex. It thus has six-month to one-year waiting periods. Still, how a plan defines “major care” can vary; make sure to consult your provider.
To learn more about dental insurance waiting periods, consult your plan provider. They’ll gladly tell you the details!
About the Practice
Seaside Dental of Jacksonville Beach is based in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Led by Dr. Elaheh Habibi, our practice offers premier and high-tech dentistry tailored to you. Whatever problem your smile faces, we’ll tailor our preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services accordingly to ensure great results. Our team also makes this care affordable by accepting multiple dental plans. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (904)-853-6888.