A dental plan is not dental insurance. Dental discount plans are an extremely useful and inexpensive alternative to dental insurance – especially for those who are in the low and middle income brackets.

A dental plan is similar to dental insurance in that there will be a network of service providers to choose from but you will find that the membership alliances have just as many, if not more quality providers to choose from. You arrive at a provider listed in the network, present your membership card, and receive instant discounted services. This is where dental plans differ from insurance plans the most. There are no claims to file and no reimbursements to wait for. The discounts are often greater than what an insurance percentage would save you anyway. The best thing about low cost dental plans, though, is the cost. You can get a full range of discounts for as little as seven dollars a month.

There are a wide range of plans available so you are going to need to do some research and get familiar with the options. All you need to do is find a comparison site for these types of plans (there are hundreds available), put in your zip code and within moments you will have many plans available to choose from at a reasonable cost.

You need not worry about not being approved for low cost dental plans. Pre-existing conditions, bad dental health, and so on are simply not an issue since they are not insurance. Find the plan that suits your needs and fits within your budget and you can easily sign up online by paying the membership fee via credit card or debit card. You can opt for monthly coverage, quarterly coverage, and annual coverage. The second your fee is received your dental plan goes into effect. You will often have the option of printing a temporary card to use immediately while you wait for your permanent card in the mail. These plans usually come with a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied in the first 30 days.

If you’re interested in a discount plan for vision care and prescription drug discounts then you could be in luck. Many of the low cost dental plans available have these features as additional benefits in exchange for a nominal increase in your membership fee.

Most of the plans you will be presented with will offer immediate coverage use, but there are a few that require you to wait 48 hours after you enroll before you can use the card. It is often the case that you will need to wait this long or more to get an appointment with your chosen provider so it shouldn’t pose too much of an issue if the plan you choose has this short wait period.