In short, there are essentially two types of dental plans: employer-funded direct reimbursement, and traditional. Direct reimbursement plans give you the freedom to choose any dentist you want, regardless of the network that he or she belongs to, while traditional dental plans provide you with a limited list of dentists from which you are required to choose. The work you can have done is usually not limited either under a reimbursement plan – you can have any type of dentistry done including cleanings, root canals, fillings and sometimes even cosmetic dentistry.

Payment methods depend on your employer: under a reimbursement plan, you will either have to pay for your treatment up front and then be reimbursed, or the employer will submit payment to the dentist directly. In addition to a greater freedom of choice, direct reimbursement dental plans are preferred over traditional plans because they require you to pay no monthly premiums or deductibles, do not necessitate pre-authorization – and there are no waiting periods (many traditional plans offer coverage only after you have been under the plan for a specific period of time).
Both reimbursement and traditional programs typically have a maximum yearly allowance, meaning that the plan will only pay for a particular amount of dentistry each year, and this amount is usually around $1,000 – $2,000.

Selecting a decent dental plan takes a bit of investigation – but educating yourself about the many different options that are available will certainly assist you in making the right decision.