:DentalPlans Makes Dental Care Affordable For Families

Visiting the dentist is one of the best ways to ensure that a child will have a successful school year. And as the back-to-school season approaches, :DentalPlans (:DP), a leading dental and health savings marketplace, is offering 15% off dental savings plans to help prepare students and families for the new school year and help ensure they fulfill their annual state check-up requirement.

"Since many states require students to have an annual dental checkup, the back-to-school season is the perfect time to focus on enhancing the entire family's dental health," said Bill Chase, Vice President of Marketing for :DentalPlans. Teaching children about the importance of dental care, including at-home oral hygiene and regular professional checkups and cleanings, sets them up for a lifetime of good health and smiles."

Compared to kids with good oral health, children with dental-related illnesses are three times more likely to miss school, resulting in the loss of 51 million school hours each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And even when kids don't miss school, dealing with dental pain has a huge impact on their ability to learn. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, oral health issues can make it difficult for children to eat properly, speak clearly, get a good night's sleep and focus on their schoolwork, adversely impacting their educational success—and their confidence.

The effects of dental disease continue into adulthood. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, gum disease affects 80 percent of American adults. The US Department of Health and Human Services has found that employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to dental issues. Recent studies have associated gum disease with medical conditions such as respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Aside from being informed on the impact of poor dental health, it is also important to understand the difference between a dental savings plan and dental insurance. Although dental insurance includes basic preventive care such as checkups, cleanings and x-rays, it can also be expensive. The typical cost of an individual dental insurance policy is around $350 and for a family $550 a year. Additionally, dental insurance deductibles, which are usually high for dental, need to be met before insurance companies will begin to cover dental care. Furthermore, the majority of dental insurance plans cap the amount of reimbursement that they pay to an annual maximum, usually $1,000 to $1,500 per year – meaning the insured individual is responsible for any costs incurred after that.

Dental savings plans are typically priced at about half the cost of dental insurance and do not have annual caps or deductibles. In fact, a dental savings plan is a cost-effective alternative to dental insurance and, for many, is the best way to save money on both preventive care and dental treatment for the entire family. This includes 10%-60% savings on what can be costly procedures such as root canals, crowns, fillings and more, at dentists nationwide. Plus many of the dental savings plans include bonus benefits that provide savings on vision care, prescription medications and other health and wellness services and products. Also, there are no pre-existing condition exclusions or waiting periods to get care and most plans activate within three business days.

And to make that trip to the dentist even more affordable, :DentalPlans is offering parents a special, limited-time discount for new members. Become a :DentalPlans member by calling 1-844-537-7707 or visiting www.dentalplans.com and using promo code 31SCHOOL by August  31, 2016 to take 15% off any of our dental plans. To learn more information about :DentalPlans visit www.dentalplans.com.