Originally published September 2020. Updated October 2021.
If you’ve been putting off your latest teeth cleaning, you’re not alone.
According to the American Academy of Dentistry (ADA), nearly 40% of American adults regularly forgo dental care. But why is that?
There’s a couple of reasons: not everybody has access to affordable dental care, and often, we don’t extend the same importance to our oral health as we do to our physical health. But the truth is, visiting your dentist for a routine dental exam is just as important as scheduling an annual physical exam with your primary care physician (PCP).
With open enrollment underway, it’s essential that you understand why dental insurance is important, what happens if you don’t have individual dental insurance, and what your options are for comprehensive coverage.
Ready to take control of your smile? Explore our Individual & Family™ plans to find the coverage that’s right for you!
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Why is dental insurance important?
It’s no surprise that your oral health and overall health are connected. In fact, many chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, often present themselves in the mouth before showing symptoms elsewhere.
Conversely, untreated oral health conditions, such as tooth decay and gum disease, pose a risk to your overall health — not just your mouth. These conditions can negatively impact your health at any age, but they’re most common in older adults, particularly if you’re over the age of 65.
Without comprehensive coverage that meets all your dental needs, you can end up putting off your routine dental exams and teeth cleanings. Over time, missing these preventive visits raises your risk of dental emergencies, like tooth infections and loose fillings.
Along with a healthy lifestyle that includes a good diet and twice-daily brushing and flossing, dental plans focused on preventive dental care can help you address potentially serious health concerns as you age, such as:
- Dry mouth;
- Gum disease;
- Heart disease;
- Denture stomatitis (thrush);
- Root decay;
What happens if I don't have dental insurance?
Many people don’t realize they need dental insurance until it’s too late. You may think that brushing and flossing twice a day is enough to protect your oral health, but there are many dental emergencies you simply can’t predict.
Let’s use a tooth infection as an example. Without regular cleanings and preventive treatments, damage, plaque, and bacteria can penetrate the center of your tooth — called “the pulp” — leading to infection.
The most common treatment to eliminate a tooth infection is a root canal. While a common procedure, the average cost of a root canal out of pocket can range anywhere from $620-$1,500, depending on the location and severity of your infection.
If you have comprehensive dental insurance, chances are that your plan will cover between 50% and 80% of the cost of your root canal.
What are my dental insurance options?
Individual dental insurance plans are your best bet for comprehensive coverage, particularly if you’re one of the 44 million Medicare-eligible Americans. If you already have Medicare, you may not realize that most Original Medicare plans don’t always cover dental care.
Fortunately, Delta Dental of Washington offers many affordable individual dental plans that cover a wide range of preventive services, such as teeth cleanings, fillings, and dental exams*. These plans aren’t limited to open enrollment -- you can enroll year-round --but the sooner you seek coverage, the better your chances are of preventing potentially serious oral health problems.
Ready to take control of your smile? Explore our Individual & Family™ plans to find the coverage that’s right for you!
Get Your Quote
*Delta Dental of Washington is independent of the Medicare program and is neither associated with nor endorsed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Source: Yarbrough, M.P.P., C., Nasseh, Ph.D, K., & Vujicic, Ph.D, M. (2014). Why Adults Forgo Dental Care: Evidence from a New National Survey (United States, American Dental Association ADA)
