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Navigating Dental Insurance: Your Complete Guide at Best Dental Houston
Dental insurance can feel like navigating a maze with confusing terms, coverage limitations, and unexpected out-of-pocket costs. At Best Dental in Houston, we've helped thousands of patients maximize their benefits while minimizing expenses. This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about dental insurance at our practice and how we work to make quality dental care accessible to everyone in the Houston area.
How It Works?
Unlike medical insurance that primarily covers unexpected illness or injury, dental insurance focuses on preventive care to avoid costly procedures later. Most dental plans follow a 100-80-50 coverage structure:
- 100% coverage for preventive services (exams, cleanings, x-rays)
- 80% coverage for basic procedures (fillings, extractions, root canals)
- 50% coverage for major procedures (crowns, bridges, dentures)
At Best Dental, we verify your benefits before treatment and provide a clear breakdown of what your insurance will cover and what you’ll be responsible for. No surprises – just transparent information to help you make informed decisions.
Network
In-Network vs. Out-of-Network: What It Means
Best Dental is proud to be in-network with many major dental insurance providers in Houston, including:
- Delta Dental
- Cigna
- MetLife
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Guardian
- United Healthcare
Being in-network means we’ve agreed to provide services at pre-negotiated rates, which typically results in lower out-of-pocket costs for you. However, even if we’re out-of-network with your provider, we can still file claims on your behalf, and many plans offer reasonable coverage for out-of-network providers.
Accepted Insurance Plan Checker
We accept ALL PPO insurance plans. We do not accept Medicaid or HMO plans. Check below to see if we accept your plan. If your plan is not listed below contact our team today!
| Insurance Provider | Plan Type | Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Ameritas | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Anthem | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Assurant | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Cigna | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Delta Dental | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| GEHA | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Guardian | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Humana | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Liberty Mutual | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Lincoln Financial Group | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| MetLife | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Mutual of Omaha | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Principal | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Standard Insurance Company | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Sun Life Financial | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Transamerica | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| UnitedHealthcare | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| Unum | PPO | ✔ Accepted |
| HMO Plans | N/A | ✖ Not Accepted |
| Medicaid | N/A | ✖ Not Accepted |
PPO vs. HMO Dental Plans: Which is Right for Houston Residents?
Houston residents often have a choice between PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) and HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) dental plans.
PPO Plans offer greater flexibility in choosing your dentist, including specialists, without requiring referrals. While premiums are typically higher, you’ll have a larger network of providers and more freedom. Best Dental accepts most major PPO plans.
HMO Plans generally have lower premiums but require you to choose a primary dentist from within the network and get referrals for specialists. Coverage is typically limited to in-network providers only. Best Dental currently DOES NOT work with HMO or DHMO plans.
Maximizing Your Annual Benefits
Most dental insurance plans have a calendar year maximum – typically between $1,000 and $2,000. Once you reach this limit, your insurance won’t cover additional treatment until the following year.
At Best Dental, our insurance coordinators help you strategically plan your treatments to maximize these benefits. For example, if you need multiple procedures and are nearing the end of the year with unused benefits, we might recommend completing some treatment before December 31st and scheduling the remainder after January 1st when your benefits renew.
Understanding Houston-Specific Dental Insurance Considerations
Houston’s diverse population means our patients come to us with many different insurance plans, including employer-provided benefits, individually purchased plans, and government programs like Medicaid and CHIP. Note that we currently do not accept Medicaid, CHIP, and HMO plans.
Texas has specific regulations regarding dental insurance that differ from other states. Our staff stays current on these regulations to ensure you’re getting the maximum coverage allowed. For Houston residents, we also consider local factors like higher rates of certain conditions (such as periodontal disease due to our water supply) that might require additional coverage considerations.
Learn More About The Major Dental Insurers We Are Partnered With
More Dental Insurance Knowledge
For More Information About Dental Insurance in Houston, TX Contact Our Team Today!
We look forward to hearing from you.
