At Shorewood Family Dentistry, we want all of our patients to receive necessary, beneficial dental care. Dr. Colosimo and our team understand that treatments, no matter how big or small, can be costly and strain a family’s budget. This is why we are pleased to be in-network with various dental insurance companies. Not only do we want to help you and your family maximize your benefits, but we want you to maintain optimal oral health year-round without paying even more out of your own pocket. When calling to schedule an appointment with us, simply tell us which dental insurance in Shorewood you have a policy with, and we will get to work to identify ways you can save.

How Dental Insurance Works

Dental insurance is one of the most worthwhile investments you can make in your physical health and wellbeing. Your mouth and body are closely connected, so it helps to ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy and strong to minimize your chances of developing more serious oral health problems. By choosing to enroll in a dental insurance policy, you agree to pay a monthly premium for access to all your amazing benefits.

Each plan, policy, and company are different, but usually, these few things remain the same:

• Most benefits are good for one calendar year. At midnight on December 31, most policies will essentially, “renew.” This means that your deductible resets to $0, and any unused funds (annual maximum) are returned to your dental insurance company. Starting January 1, your benefits start anew.
• How much your insurance company will agree to pay is based on if you’ve met your deductible and how much of your annual maximum remains.
• Your annual or yearly maximum is the allotted amount your insurance company agrees to provide in one calendar year. If you exceed this amount, you are responsible for the remaining balance.

What is the Different Between Dental and Medical Insurance?

Yes, dental and medical insurance are set up with the same idea of the client paying a monthly premium for access to services; however, their uses are vastly different.

With dental insurance, most plans are designed to provide the highest level of coverage for preventive care. Why? Because your insurer wants you to avoid more serious problems down the road. By offering to cover 80-100% of the total cost for regular checkups and cleanings, dental X-rays, and maybe even fluoride treatment, it minimizes the chances of needing to rely on your insurance to pay for fillings, dental crowns, or a root canal later on.

With medical insurance, however, you will find that your wellness visits have a small level of coverage. This is because most medical insurance companies find that people do not go to a doctor unless there is a specific problem that has developed. Medical insurance is designed to serve as a reactionary type of care, not preventive.

In-Network vs. Out of Network

While in-network and out-of-network might sound like two general terms that don’t mean much, they certainly do when it comes to saving money.

In-Network Coverage

Choosing to see an in-network dentist will allow you to save more money each time you visit. Dr. Colosimo has many negotiated fees and services with various dental insurance companies, including:

• -Delta
• -MetLife
• -Humana
• -Aetna
• -Anthem
• -Blue Cross Blue Shield
• United Concordia
• Cigna

Out of Network

If we are not in-network with your dental insurance company, that is okay. However, because we have not negotiated certain fees and services with your insurer, you may be responsible for paying more of the cost than if you were to see someone who is in-network with your insurance company.