Treatment costs
When planning your treatment, it's important to know the cost of treatment, available treatment options and your plan’s benefits.
Talk to your dentist
Don't be reluctant to ask your dentist about the cost of care before having work done. Your dental office will probably welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you. Ask about your treatment options: what your dentist charges for each and what your share would be. In some cases, there may be several alternatives to choose from and a less expensive alternative may be available.
Your dentist can request a free pre-treatment estimate from Delta Dental. The pre-treatment estimate is based on your records and your dentist's proposed treatment plan. Delta Dental reviews your x-rays, diagnosis and coverage, and sends a statement back to you and your dentist detailing what Delta Dental will pay and what your costs will be.
A simple way to determine your expected cost is to ask your dentist to submit a pre-treatment estimate to Delta Dental. A pre-treatment estimate is not a guarantee of payment. When the services are complete and a claim is received for payment, Delta Dental will calculate its payment based on your current eligibility, your plan design, the amount remaining in your annual maximum and any deductible requirements. This service is not available to DeltaCare® USA enrollees.
Review your coverage information
Delta Dental's payment will vary, depending on your program and the dentist you visit.
Some Delta Dental plans, like our Delta Dental Premier® and Delta Dental PPOSM plans, offer a higher level of coverage if you select an in-network dentist. Others offer a higher level of coverage if you regularly visit the dentist.
Some Delta Dental plans cover a certain dollar amount for each procedure using a table of plan allowances. You pay the difference between the table amount and your dentist's accepted or approved fee.
Our DeltaCare® USA plans specify the copayment amount you pay for each service.
Delta Dental Premier and Delta Dental PPO plans let you choose any dentist.
With our DeltaCare USA plan, you and your family members select primary care dentists from whom you receive treatment. Your copayments stay the same no matter which primary dentist you choose.
Under Delta Dental Premier plans, you are covered for a certain percentage amount and the actual dollar amount paid for covered procedures may fluctuate depending on the dentist's fees. For example, if your coverage is 80 percent, the actual dollar amount of the coverage and your coinsurance amount (the remaining 20 percent) depends on the fees charged by the dentist you visit.
To get a general idea of the retail cost of dental treatment in your area (what dentists charge for services in your area), we offer a fee finder tool. To access it, log in to the web site and click the "Fee Finder" tab.
