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| Typical costs: | - Dental insurance premiums for small businesses vary based on the number of employees, their ages and the type of coverage provided. For a California retail store with three full-time employees (52-year-old male, 30-year-old female and 20-year-old male) covered by the policy but with no spouses or children, eHealthInsurance.com provided more than 100 quotes ranging from $304 a month with a $1,250 deductible and no office visit coverage to a $2,061 monthly premium with a $1,000 deductible and patients paying 20 percent of each office visit. The majority of premium quotes for these three employees ranged from $450-$600 monthly, with deductibles of $500-$3,500 and at least partial coverage of office visits.
- Discount dental plans available to the general public range from $7-$26 a month for individuals and $12.75-$75 monthly for a family, with immediate coverage and little or no deductible, and co-pays of $5-$45 for exams, cleanings, x-rays or fillings, according to a cost comparison chart compiled by BracesInfo.com. You must choose a dentist who is in the plan's network, which means you must make sure there really is a network. Dental "plans" are not actually insurance; patients pay a fee to join and then pay discounted charges for services from a participating dentist.
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| What should be included: | - Animated-Teeth.com gives an overview of what to look for in a dental insurance policy and the pros and cons of different types.
- Key factors to consider are the amount of deductible you must pay out of pocket before the policy kicks in; any limit on total annual benefits; the amount of co-payment or percentage you have to cover for office visits, x-rays, cleanings or other services; if there's a "probationary" period before some procedures are covered; and how much freedom you have to choose a particular dentist.
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| Shopping for dental insurance: | |
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Article updated November 2006 |
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