DENTAL INSURANCE: NEED OF THE HOUR

Taking proper care of one’s teeth and gums requires more than just brushing every day. One also needs to visit a dentist at least twice a year for a thorough check-up and treatment, if required. Dental procedures are presumed to be quite costly, leading quite many people to avoid a dental surgeon and land up in the hands of quacks.

One of the more common dental procedures, fillings, can cost several hundreds of rupees, depending on the charges of a particular dentist, based upon his specialty and experience. Likewise, procedures such as root canals and dental extractions can cost up to several thousands of rupees. If a dentist determines that these procedures are necessary, putting them off because of lack of funds can be detrimental to the teeth and gums in particular, and the overall health in general.

Many people skip a visit to the dentist because they cannot afford it. What they do not know is that something as simple as a decayed tooth or a poor dental health can lead to something as serious as a heart disease. A dental insurance plan, therefore, is the need of the hour.

Without insurance, the cost of these procedures quickly adds up. Also, with the ever increasing dental problems due to a rise in unhealthy eating habits, more treatment is required than simple preventative measures, making one look at a very high bill.

A dental insurance plan can help pay for some, most or all of the cost associated with these procedures. It can also provide one with access to care he may not have been able to afford otherwise. Without dental insurance, people are less likely to take proper care of their teeth. This is usually because they cannot afford to go to the dentist, or would rather spend their money elsewhere. Knowing that at least a part of one’s dental treatment will be covered is an incentive to seek out that treatment. Preventative treatment not only helps you safeguard against future problems, but also provides the opportunity to catch potential problems before they become too serious and require more extensive and expensive procedures.

It is not uncommon to find quacks or some not-so-honest doctors executing some crude treatment in order to earn easy money. These people tend to get away easily with these unfair practices as no proper treatment notes are put in the patient’s O.P.D. card. With the advent of dental insurance, such practices would be a thing of the past as proper notes have to be written for each and every work done in order to get claims from the insurance companies.

If the government starts offering dental insurance benefits, then there would be nothing like it. That would be the best insurance one can get. Because the government can subsidize a part of or the entire premium, one would be able to have access to more insurance coverage. Even if the government does not start any dental insurance plans in the near future, the private companies can come up with dental insurance plans of their own, and one can still get affordable and cost-effective dental treatment.

Dental insurance, looking at the rapidity of spread of dental diseases, is a must for everyone. Even if one opts for lesser coverage in order to pay a lower premium, it would still be better than nothing. But like with any type of insurance, before going to take any policy, it has to be first made sure that the insurance company is properly licensed for the same and is registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) of India, and not a fraudulent one.

Dental insurance does save one a lot of money. A middle class family man should keep dental insurance as a priority. With proper care, a person’s teeth and that of his children can and should last a lifetime. And with dental insurance, huge expenses are expected not to stand between a person and good overall health.