For people who have found traditional dental insurance to be too expensive, many have turned to what's commonly being referred to as a discount dental card.
Instead of purchasing dental coverage, they buy this card and have instant access to a participating list of dentists that will provide every holder of the card with dental work at discounted rates.
There are positives and negatives to holding the card, benefits over traditional insurance and shortcomings as well.
Below is a list of the pros and cons of a dental card.
1) Pros.
The best thing about these cards is that, unlike traditional dental insurance, there is no waiting period.
Insurance plans require that those who apply for coverage wait for 12 months until any preexisting conditions are covered.
The cards work right away.
Another big benefit is that the membership fee to get the card is much, much less than regular insurance premiums.
Lastly, the discounts that are offered with the card are significant.
Depending on the company from which you receive the card, the discounts will range from the 40% range to the 70% range.
2) Cons.
With traditional dental coverage, you only have to pay a small co pay amount at the time of the visit.
With the card, you need to pay the entire balance that is due to you in full at the time of the visit.
Also, even though the discounts are significant, expensive procedures will still leave you with a sizeable bill.
For example, dentures that cost $2000 will end up costing you $1000 if the card offers a 50% discount.
While the discount is significant, the out of pocket cost to you is still significant as well.