Dental Care Advantage is one of the several discount dental plans that are available for people who don’t have dental insurance. Dental insurance is available as part of employee benefits to Americans working with big companies. For the self-employed and the un-employed this benefit is unfortunately not available. To help such people companies have negotiated discounted rates with dentists and offer the benefit of discounted fees to people who avail of plans like dental care advantage.

A discount dental plan should not be confused with dental insurance. A plan like dental care advantage is not dental insurance. In insurance there are premiums, co-pays and annual limits to the amount of money that the dental insurance company will pay for treatment in a year. A dental discount plan on the other hand has no such limits. A dental insurance also, will only pay for the least expensive alternative treatment for any given condition. So, even if the treatment is not optimum or what you want you will have to settle for the lower cost option.

With a dental plan like dental care advantage you have no such restrictions on type of treatment. Only problem is whether your particular dentist accepts the discount plan that you have purchased. These plans have several dentists on their panel who agree to honor the plan and offer card holders discount on the various dental treatments offered at their center. So, if you choose a dentist from the ones listed on their panel you can avail of all the discounts. In return for a yearly payment you get upto 50 percent or more discount on several different dental treatments like bridges, dentures and root canals. Routine teeth cleanings, check-ups, x-rays also qualify for discounts. When you purchase the plan you will given a detailed chart of all the different treatments for which you can avail discounts on the regular fee that the dentist usually charges.

Not just dentists, you get discount on fees you pay specialists like Orthodontists, Periodontists, Oral Surgeons, Prosthodontists, Pediatric Dentists and Endodontists. If you need specialized care for any of the following treatments like braces, gums,wisdom tooth or major extractions, bridges and dentures, child treatment, extensive root canals you could avail of discount on the services offered too.

When you buy dental insurance you usually have to wait for a year or so before you start claiming money on any treatment sought. There are restrictions like waiting periods and no treatment for pre-existing conditions when it comes to dental insurance. This is not the case with dental plans like dental care advantage. You get to enjoy the discounts almost immediately. You will be sent a discount dental plan card which is your membership card. Just take it along with you when you visit the dentist.

Just like in insurance there are options to buy either individual and family dental plans. For a little extra amount of money your whole family can enjoy the benefits of discounted dental treatment any time of the year. Some plans even offer free dental check-ups and dental cleanings as part of the plan. You should check out what you are entitled to when you purchase your plan. The documents and support material that comes with your plan will have all the details. So, make sure to read it to take maximum advantage of your discount membership card.

Now, remember that dental discount plans like dental care advantage are not dental insurance. These are more like dental discount clubs where a group of people buy the plan and the dentists on the plan agree to offer discounted fee on different treatments for the members of the group. This is similar to group discounts.

There are several advantages to having dental insurance because it’s helps in emergencies to have an insurance that takes care of your treatment needs even if you have to partly for it. But, those not fortunate enough to qualify for insurance will need some other buffer and dental plans tries to fill that gap.