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Quick Reference

Make Sure Your Dental Insurance Covers These Services

Most dental benefit plans allow you to receive a specified amount of oral health care each year. Before you decide on one plan over another, be sure you know how much treatment is allowed in a given year at no cost to you and how much you will be expected to pay for yourself.

At minimum, most plans allow the following:
  • initial oral exam (when you are seeing a new dentist)—once per dentist
  • regular (recall) examinations—every six months
  • complete x-rays—once every three years
  • bitewing x-rays—once each year
  • tooth cleaning (also called prophylaxis or hygiene appointment)—every six months
  • topical fluoride treatment—twice each year
  • sealant application—as needed for children under 18 years of age
These services are all either diagnostic or preventive, in that they are designed to evaluate your oral health, detect problems and prevent decay and gum disease. It's important that you understand that dental care in itself is not expensive; it's dental neglect that winds up hitting you hard in your wallet.

Widespread diagnostic and preventive care has greatly reduced the incidence of dental decay. Today, more than half of the nation's school children have never had a cavity. Dental insurance, despite its flaws, complexities and exclusions, has played a big role in improving our oral health. It's up to you to use that insurance effectively.

Source - The California Dental Association
The U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health, May 26, 2000