Online Bargain-Hunting for Discounts at the Dentist

Looking for a discount on dining out? How about half off a mani-pedi? Or maybe 70 percent off scuba diving lessons during vacation?

It’s a great time for Americans to find online discounts. In recent months, mainstream news media outlets and personal finance blogs across the country have been giving sites like Groupon and Living Social plenty of attention.

Between restaurant-goer markdowns and frugalista spa splurges, bargain-hunters can click online to find savings on just about anything these days. Even discounts on dental care to save money at the dentist.

“Discount dental plan shopping might not be your every day dinner table topic,” says Jenn Stoll, President of DentalPlans.com. “But giving consumers that same type of online access to discounts on dental care procedures can help people keep up with dental appointments rather than cut it from their budgets.”

Easy access to discounts on dental care is topical when considering that annual spending for dental services in the United States is expected to increase 58 percent through 2018, from $101.9 billion to $161.4 billion, according to “The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children” report produced by Pew Center on the States in 2010.

In addition, a recent article from the American Dental Association (ADA), relative to a report from the journal Health Affairs, stated, “Consumers nationwide have delayed getting medical and dental care because of recession-related drops in household income and loss of health insurance.”

Planned or unplanned, regular checkups and atypical dental care procedures can be a major out-of-pocket investment.

How discount dental plans work

Providers, such as Aetna, CIGNA and Careington, offer discount dental plans where savings can range from 10 to 60 percent on a broad scope of procedures, from routine exams and cleanings to costly root canals and crowns.

In turn, dentists across the country and within these provider networks accept a discounted fee from members as payment-in-full for services performed. While only half of all Americans have access to employer-sponsored dental benefits, according to the National Association of Dental Plans, dentists offer discount dental plans as an affordable alternative to dental insurance to help reach, retain and reactivate patients.

These plans are not dental insurance, but rather member discount programs where individuals and families pay an annual enrollment or monthly fee for reduced rates at a nearby dentist. Typically, discount dental plans cost less than dental insurance. Some plans can also be coupled with insurance to manage finances against annual limits or specialty procedures, such as teeth whitening, bonding, veneers and braces.

In similar fashion to other discount sites consumers are clicking on for savings, terms and conditions may apply. It’s important to confirm rates and discount dental plan details with a dentist when booking an appointment.

By DentalPlans.com

A one-stop online shop to save on dental care, DentalPlans.com connects individuals, families and groups to significant savings on procedures such as cleanings, braces and root canals. Visitors of DentalPlans.com can compare nearly 40 discount dental plans by ZIP code, view sample savings and find a nearby dentist.