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Dental Insurance – South Portland, ME

More Affordable Oral Healthcare

At Gannett Drive Dental, it is our goal to provide a high level of quality service that is affordable for every budget. We understand necessary treatment and recommended procedures can be a financial burden on many patients, often causing many to postpone or cancel future appointments. To avoid this situation, we believe in offering various payment options available, one of which is serving as an in-network provider for Northeast Delta Dental. With dental insurance in South Portland, you can save on regular visits as well as restorative care. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you maximize your benefits, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

How Dental Insurance Works

Couple after using dental insurance in South Portland

If you have car or medical insurance, you can expect your dental coverage to work similarly. Whether you pay for it through your employer or individually, you agree to pay a monthly premium for access to your available benefits. To ensure you get the most from your policy and that your insurance carrier pays the most for the services you receive, it’s important that you remember the following:

  • Most dental insurance plans are good for a single calendar year, so if any funds are unused by December 31 at midnight, they are returned to the insurance company, and your policy renews on January 1.
  • You must meet your deductible before your insurer will agree to pay more for the care provided by your dentist.
  • Your annual maximum is the allotted amount provided to you by your insurance company. This is how much they’ll agree to pay in a single year.

You will find that most insurance policies agree to pay 80-100% of the cost for preventive services. This is to minimize your chances of developing more serious problems later on. It is in your best interest to take advantage of the two six-month dental checkups and cleanings each year, as it will cost you little to nothing out of pocket.

What is the Different Between Dental and Medical Insurance?

Although it might seem as if the two should fall under the same plan, they operate a bit differently. Medical insurance is designed to provide the most coverage to individuals already experiencing health problems. You will find that your insurance carrier does not offer much coverage for wellness exams but instead, offers greater cost responsibility should you require hospitalizations, laboratory testing, or specialty office visits.

Dental insurance, however, operates by encouraging patients to pursue preventive care. This is why most policies pay most, if not all, of the bill for dental checkups and cleanings. If you experience a problem at any point and require minor or major restorative care, your insurance will step in, but they will not pay as much of the cost (50-80%).

In-Network vs. Out of Network

Man at checkup in South Portland

In-network and out-of-network can mean little or nothing to someone who doesn’t work in insurance or the medical field, but it’s important you understand the difference between the two. This is especially true if you want to save as much money as you can when visiting your dentist in South Portland.

In-Network Coverage

At Gannett Drive Dental, we are pleased to partner with Northeast Delta Dental as an in-network provider. This means we pre-negotiate fees and services to ensure you pay as little as possible for the care you receive while in our dental office. But we’re also happy to process and submit claims for other dental insurance companies as well.

Out of Network

You are not required to see an in-network dentist, so if you don’t have Northeast Delta Dental but still want to see our dental team, we’ll be happy to assist. The services you receive will likely require that you pay more, but we will do our best to make the financial side of your dental visit as smooth and seamless as possible.