Individual Dental Insurance with No Waiting Period

Dental insurance is part of the health care package, but is usually available at an additional fee above the premium for a health care package.

Dental insurance is also available without the benefit of a health care package and can be purchased as a stand along package. The cost is a bit more expensive, but the benefits are worth it if you have a lot of dental needs.

Some dental plans have a waiting period of anywhere from 3 months to a year. Until the waiting period is over, the insured is covered for routine care only. After the waiting period the insured is covered to the full extent of the insurance plan, including major dental work. Insurance companies invoke a waiting period as a preventative measure meant to discourage customers from signing up for dental insurance, getting major dental work and then resigning from the plan.

There are a number of dental plans that have no such waiting period in place. Check carefully that there is no other qualifier in place that might prevent or delay dental treatment beyond routine care such as a waiting period for certain dental procedures will be performed and included in the dental plan. Some insurance companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield have no waiting period for dental work as long as the dentist is from within the insurance network. Spirit Dental also offers plans with no waiting period required. If you need major dental work and cannot wait for the waiting period to expire, ask your dentist about a discount if you are to pay for the procedure in cash.

It is possible to shop online and find the dental insurance companies that do not require a waiting period before certain dental procedures can be performed. There are those insurance companies that will have a waiting period in place but will reimburse the patient for procedures performed during the waiting period after the waiting period is over.

An alternative to dental insurance is a dental discount plan. It is not a dental insurance plan, but offers substantial discounts for dental procedures. You will incur some out of pocket expenses if you need any major dental work but discounted dental services will help the dental budget. There are typically no waiting periods when using a dental insurance discount plan.

Dental discount plans can be used as a standalone measure for dental care or in conjunction with a dental insurance plan. The discount plans offer some free dental care as well as discounted services. The fee for a discounted plan is paid on an annual basis. The average cost is about $200 annually but that will vary depending on the issuing company. Discount dental plans are available for individuals or families. Dental customers who use the discounted dental plans are subject to the dentist in the dental network that accepts discount dental plans.

Discount dental plans can be found and purchased through an online search. Not all dentists accept such a discounted dental plan.