Types Of Dental Insurance

So, where do you start?  A good starting place is understanding what type of dental insurance plan you have. Most plans fall within one of the following categories:

• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): PPO plans have a list of dentists who will accept their plans, referred to as their provider network. Visiting an in-network dentist (a dentist on that list) will give you the greatest savings. Typically you can see a dentist who is out of network (not on the list) but you’ll pay more out of pocket.
• (Dental) Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO, DMO or HMO): these plans provide a list of dentists who accept these plans for a set fee. But you have to see a dentist on that list to get the benefits
• Discount Plan: again, there is a list of dentists who you can see but your coverage simply gives you a discount with them, the company providing the plan doesn’t pay anything for your care.

Once you know what kind of plan you have, you’ll want to find a dentist on the list. Nearly all plans will have a phone number or website to help you find a participating dentist.