Are you looking for an affordable dental insurance plan for yourself or your family? It's hard to determine which is the best plan, isn't it? Many people are confused about buying dental insurance because they're not sure if it's a better plan than a discount dental plan or exactly what it covers. Let's take a brief look at both plans.

Discount Dental Plans

Discount plans offer you reduced costs on most dental care procedures for simply joining a plan and visiting a participating provider within the network of the plan. These plans have been around since the early 1990's and have enjoyed some success. Most plans offer savings on both preventive dentistry, such as regular cleaning and check-ups to other major dental care, such as crowns, root canals, dentures and braces. Some discount plans even offer substantial savings on cosmetic dentistry.

Pro's - No restrictions, save money on every visit, see any dentist within the network nationwide, very inexpensive to join.

Con's - You may not be able to continue seeing your current dentist, unless they take steps to become a network provider. This is very easily done, if the dentist is willing. You must pay cash at the time of your appointment. There are no claim forms and no payment plans. It's cash in full. This can be good or bad, depending on your budget.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is much more expensive than it used to be in the past. I'm talking about a "decent" policy, not one of these $8.00 per month things that are filled with exclusions. A decent dental insurance plan can run upwards of $100.00 per month for a family, which is extremely high. This, of course, depend upon where you live.

Pro's - Honestly, not many. These plans are designed more for preventive dental care than they are to provide major coverage, especially in the early stages of ownership.

Con's - They don't cover pre-existing conditions. This means that if you already have a mouthful of cavities when you buy a plan you're on your own. The plan won't pay one cent. You'll have to wait one year before you'll have any help at all from your insurance and even then you'll have to pay the premiums and deductible.

Summary - I'm not biased in any way, but facts are facts. Discount dental plans win by a landslide. If you're looking for affordable dental insurance for yourself or your family, I suggest you take a good look at a discount plan before you buy insurance. You may be doing yourself a big favor in the long run.