Is Teeth Whitening Covered?
Dental insurance plans don’t cover cosmetic procedures, and teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure. Dental insurance plans cover dental work that is deemed necessary by your dentist. This includes dental cleanings, fillings, crowns, and perhaps bridges. Each dental insurance plan is different. Some dental insurance plans cover more services than others. Keep in mind that really good dental insurance will typically require a higher premium and deductible. The dental insurance premium is the amount of money you pay each month for the insurance. The dental insurance deductible is the amount of money that you must pay for services before your insurance begins to cover you and even then you still might have to pay a co-pay fee in addition to what the dental insurance pays your dentist.
Alternative Solutions?
There are other solutions to help defray the cost of teeth whitening. One of these solutions is to sign up for a dental discount plan. Dental discount plans are not dental insurance. They are plans that offer dental discounts. The dental discount plans have agreements with certain dentists to offer their members lower prices for dental services. When you sign up for a dental discount plan, you pay a monthly fee to pay a lower price for the service you want, but you still have to pay out of pocket for teeth whitening. When looking for a dental discount plan do your research and check which dentists have signed up to offer services with the discount plans that you are considering signing up for. Not all dental discount plans are the same. Some have more dentists affiliated with the plan and have negotiated lower prices for services.
Teeth Whitening Products
The most affordable option for tooth whitening is over the counter tooth whitening products that are sold at retail stores. Over the counter teeth whitening products could be a good fit for you if you are just looking to slightly whiten your teeth and don’t have stained yellow or brown teeth. If your teeth are severely stained over the counter products might not work for you but if you just want to whiten your teeth a bit then try an over the counter whitening product like the Crest 3D Whitening Whitestrips or brushing with activated charcoal.