According to the American Dental Association, approximately 50% of the American public does not have any form of dental insurance. These individuals rely on their own personal income to pay for needed dental care.

Discount dental plans are designed to lessen the burden to non-insured individuals for the cost of dental care by making dental care more affordable. Members and their dependents can save on all dental care expenses through the largest networks of dental care providers nationwide.

Most dental insurance plans cover some procedures, but cover less than 100% of the cost of care on many other procedures. Most dental insurance plans also have waiting periods and limits to their coverage. Discount dental plan preferred pricing schedules reduce the member's cost, but you will always be expected to pay the reduced bill. DISCOUNT DENTAL PLANS ARE NOT INSURANCE, so there are no administrative forms, no limits on use, and no waiting.

Discount dental plans will provide cost savings not only on routine and preventive care, but also on more extensive treatment such as fillings, crowns, root canals, dentures, bridges, oral surgery, and orthodontics. Members can expect to save from 20% to 60% on dental care expenses. The higher discounts can be expected from general dentists while discounts from specialists will normally fall into the lower range. Discounts on dental procedures vary by plan provider and by geographic region. Each participating dentist agrees to charge members according to the fee schedule for that geographic area. The fee schedule is a part of the participating dentist's contract.

All members have the added assurance of knowing that each participating dentist has been fully credentialed. Each participating dentist must have an active license in good standing with the appropriate state regulatory agency. Participating dentists contractually agree to abide by OSHA and CDC guidelines for sterilization and disinfection protocols. Evidence of current malpractice insurance must also be submitted prior to acceptance into the panel of network dentists.

Following is a sample fee schedule from one discount dental plan provider network. This sample was drawn from the Dallas, TX area and represents average fees for the Dental-Vision plan in most states. Some states such as AK, HI, CA, AZ, WA, OR, MA, and NY will have slightly higher fee schedules. Fee schedules from different provider networks will vary for the same zip code.

Procedure	Normal Fee	Discounted Fee (for Plan Members)	Member Savings
Routine 6 Month Check-Up	$32	$12	$20
In Depth Check-Up	$64	$14	$50
Full Mouth X-Rays	$85	$35	$50
Bitewings - Four Films	$42	$17	$25
Panoramic Film	$74	$35	$39
Adult Cleaning	$64	$25	$39
Child Cleaning	$50	$18	$32
Sealant - Per Tooth	$38	$17	$21
Silver Filling	$79	$30	$49
White Filling	$115	$44	$71
Core Build-Up, Including Any Pins	$183	$81	$102
Root Canal - Anterior	$489	$236	$253
Root Canal - Bicuspid	$580	$279	$301
Root Canal - Molar	$684	$351	$333
Perio scaling and root planing (per quadrant)	$179	$82	$97
Upper Denture (Complete)	$1,200	$515	$685
Single Tooth Extraction	$111	$44	$67

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