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Oral health is more important than most people realize; it’s a window to your overall health. Regular visits to the dentist not only help prevent oral health problems but are associated with good overall health and prevention of serious conditions, too. That’s why you should make your oral health a priority.
- Taking care of your teeth and gums might help prevent heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. Medical experts say there is a connection between heart disease and gum inflammation.
- Diabetes increases your risk for painful gum disease and tooth loss. Dental checkups and proper oral care can help you avoid complications.
- Don’t skip your dental checkups and routine dental care if you’re pregnant. You might be able to decrease the risk of passing along cavity-causing bacteria to your child.
Your dental coverage options
You have two options for dental coverage. Dental Plus pays more, and it has higher premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs. Basic Dental pays less, and it has lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs.
Dental Plus has higher allowed amounts, which are the maximum amounts allowed by the plan for a covered service. Plus, there’s a network for Dental Plus, and network providers cannot charge you for the difference in their cost and the allowed amount. Basic Dental has lower allowed amounts, but there is no network for Basic Dental. That means providers can charge you for the difference in their cost and the allowed amount. Even if you visit an out-of-network provider under Dental Plus, you will still pay less out-of-pocket than with Basic Dental, because Dental Plus has higher allowed amounts.
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