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We find that one of the most confusing aspects of Dental Care for our patients is Insurance.  We have tried provide some background about  Dental Insurance in the following post.  Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and California Dental Association (CDA) provide additional useful information.

Dental Insurance Basics:  In general, your dental plan is a form of compensation provided by your employer, but you can also purchase insurance individually. You can expect the carrier (insurance company) to reimburse you for a portion of you dental fee. That portion is determined by the contract between your employer and the insurance company. The higher the premium paid by your company, the more generous the reimbursement.

There are several things to consider when choosing an insurance plan: yearly and lifetime maximums, in/out of network dentists, usual, customary, and reasonable fee guide, dental insurance waiting period, missing tooth clause and waiting period, coverage of cosmetic procedures.

Dental Insurance is different than Medical Insurance in relation to Comprehensive Care:  Before deciding to purchase dental insurance, talk with your dentist regarding the extent of your treatment plan. This way you can decide if you would be better off with or without dental insurance. A very important factor to remember regarding any dental insurance plan is that dental insurance is not at all similar to medical insurance. The majority of dental insurance plans are designed with the purpose of only covering the basic dental care around $1,000 to $1,500 (about the same amount that they covered 30 years ago) per year and is not intended to provide comprehensive coverage like that of medical insurance. (source: About.com)

In addition to primary coverage, you may want to consider supplemental dental insurance.  The following article may help you decide if supplemental dental insurance is something you want to consider: Benefits of Supplemental Dental Insurance.