Choosing the Right Dental Insurance Plan Feeling Cumbersome? This blog post makes it easy!

Dental care is an important element for maintaining overall health, but we all know that out-of-pocket expenses add up quickly. That makes dental insurance a necessity. However, it doesn’t mean that you sign up with the first dental insurance service provider you come across or purchase any dental insurance policy at random. Because, when you are investing in a dental insurance policy, you want to make sure you get your money’s worth, and you get it, when you need it the most! This makes it essential to compare dental insurance companies and policies, so you pick the one that’s right for you. Whether you need routine check-ups, major procedures, or no-gap dental cover, selecting the right policy can help you save money and access quality care when you need it most.

Understanding Dental Insurance in Australia

You cannot pick the right dental insurance plan until you understand the different types of dental insurance plans that exist. In Australia, dental insurance plans fall into two categories, primarily, based on their coverage. They are:

• Minor Dental Cover: Includes routine check-ups, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and simple fillings.
• Major Dental Cover: Covers more complex procedures such as root canals, crowns, dentures, and orthodontics.

Apart from the above, many Australian health insurance policies offer dental insurance as part of the health insurance extras., This allows you to tailor your health insurance coverage to cover your dental  expenses as well.

Why should you be comparing dental insurance plans?

Comparing dental insurance plans helps you find the best dental insurance. When we talk about choosing the best dental insurance, it is also important to remember that there’s no one-size- fits-all insurance plan that works for everyone. You need to pick the dental insurance plan that works best for you and your family based on your needs. However, here are some hallmark features of a good dental insurance plan. Check them out and tell us, does your dental insurance plan have these?

End-to-End Dental Cover:

Does your dental insurance plan cover everything dental? No matter how small, dental health expenses add up over time. A good dental insurance plan should cover all forms of dental expenses, without you having to pay anything additional for any dental procedure–big or small.

Preventative Care Coverage:

We all know that a visit to a dentist every 6 months or at least, annually for a routine check up helps keep up our dental health at its best. Such routine dental check ups can help prevent serious and expensive dental issues in the future. A good dental insurance plan is one that covers not only dental issues, but also such routine dental check-ups.

Family Dental Health Plan:

If you have a family, then a dental insurance plan that covers the whole family would be a good choice. Family dental insurance plans are cheaper and ensures umbrella coverage to the whole family.

Flexibility in Choosing Providers:

Good dental insurance plans are widely accepted by a range of dental clinics, so one way to assess a dental insurance provider or plan, is to see if it is popularly accepted across different dental healthcare service providers.

Comparing Popular Dental Insurance Providers in Australia:

Let’s now do a quick comparison of the dental insurance plans and programs offered by the three most popular health insurance service providers in Australia, namely, HCF, Bupa and Medibank.

The coverage offered will vary from plan to plan and service provider to service provider. It also depends on the policy you pick and the premium amount you pay. For example, end-to-end or full cover dental insurance plans usually cost more than the limited or major dental coverage- only plans. While a dental insurance plan is a must it is equally important to invest in the right dental insurance plan.

Also, when choosing a dental health insurance provider, consider the popularity of the dental health insurance company with the dental clinics in the area. For example, if you are a resident of Craigieburn, it makes sense to opt for a dental health insurance provider who is popular among the dental clinics in Craigieburn.

Using Dental Insurance for the first time? Here’s what to expect.

Step 1: Visit your dental clinic – Whether  you want to go for a regular dental check-up or are unfortunately facing a dental health issue, it all starts with a visit to your local dentist.  If  you are a resident of Craigieburn, consider visiting Dazzling Smiles Dental as they are one of the top-rated dental clinics of Craigieburn!

At the dental clinic, your oral health will be assessed and the necessary treatment would be prescribed by the dentist.

Step 2: Treatment Plan & Coverage Review – the next step would be to check if the dental procedure or parts of it, is covered under your dental insurance plan.

Step 3: Treatment & Claim Processing – The third step is to inform your dental insurance service provider of the upcoming treatment and then have your dental health clinic and the insurance service provider interact to process your claim.

Step 4: Aftercare & Follow-Ups – Some dental insurance plans include post-treatment care, ensuring your dental health remains in top condition.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Dental Insurance in Australia

Does Medicare Cover Dental Care?

In Australia, the regular Medicare only provides limited dental benefits. These benefits are usually the ones mandated under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). Adults typically need private health insurance for dental care.

What Are the Costs of Dental Treatment Without Insurance?

While it is difficult to predict exactly how much dental procedures would cost, here’s an estimate.

• Routine Check-up & Cleaning: $100 – $200
• Fillings: $150 – $300
• Root Canal: $800 – $2,500

As you can see, the cost of dental procedures are not very low and can make a significant dent on your pocket if you do not have a good dental health insurance plan.

How Can I Find the Best Dental Plan for My Family?

There are many dental insurance service providers in Australia, with each of them offering different types of dental health insurance plans. Like we said before, when it comes to dental insurance plans, the one-size-fits-all theory doesn’t work. What works for you, may not work for someone else and vice-versa. In order to pick the dental insurance plan that’s the best for you and your family, make sure you compare the dental insurance providers and their plans in detail before investing in one.

Are you in Craigieburn and need help finding a dental health care clinic that accepts your dental insurance plan?

Craigieburn, Victoria has good dental clinics and most of them accept private dental health insurance. Not to brag, but an example of an excellent dental clinic at Craigieburn is the Dazzling Smiles Dental Clinic that is located at Shop D00-29a, Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre, 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn-3064. We, at Dazzling Smiles Dental offer a range of dental services including, but not limited to-

• General Dentistry
• Cleans & Preventative Care
• Dental Implants
• Dental crown
• Teeth Whitening
• Dental Bridge
• Emergency Dental Care
• Denture
• Children Dentistry

We also accept dental health insurance plans from all leading dental health insurance providers in Australia. Scheduling an appointment with us at Dazzling Smiles Dental is super-easy. You can call us at 03-8339-4253 or email us at dazzlingsmilesmel@gmail.com. We also have an online appointment booking system. Click here to access our calendar and book your dental appointment in a few clicks!

We’ll be back next week with another interesting blog post. Until then…keep smiling!