Pearly Whites

With the country in a recession, not many employers can afford to offer health insurance, much less a dental plan. If you're not fortunate enough to get dental insurance through your job, you will have to find a private plan that will cover the cost of your dentist bills.

Finding good, affordable dental insurance isn't easy, but for most people, it beats having to pay their dental costs in full. If you already have a dentist that you like, ask him which dental plans he accepts. Not every dentist will take every plan.

There are several different types of dental insurance plans to choose from. With some plans, you'll have to pay the dentist the full cost of the treatment then wait to be reimbursed by the insurance company. With other plans, the dentist will invoice the insurance company directly.

Most plans have an annual deductible, an annual maximum, and a percentage of coverage for different levels of treatment (preventative, basic and major). Different plans cover different procedures. Some may only cover preventative and emergency care. Others cover root canals, periodontics and oral surgery. Some plans even cover orthodontist bills.

If you can't afford a traditional dental insurance policy, consider getting a Discount Dental Plan instead. It's not an insurance policy, as such, but it can still save you a lot of money. With this type of plan, you pay a small annual fee that gets you a significant discount at participating dental practices. In some cases, you can save as much as 60%, as long as you go to someone in that plan's network. Many dentists favor these types of plans because it saves them the hassle of dealing with insurance companies. There are no waiting periods or annual maximums. In most cases, you'll be expected to pay cash for the procedures.