Generally speaking, while you will probably be limited to only twice a year teeth cleaning procedures, you will have all other normal dental procedures covered under a full coverage dental plan. The easiest way to keep your dental costs to a minimum is to take advantage of these biannual cleaning services. With these professional cleaning appointments, you can prevent cavities and their byproducts – root canals and extractions.

Full coverage dental plans are different from discount dental plans. Instead of paying a membership fee to receive instant coverage you will apply for coverage through an insurance company, sign a contract, and pay a monthly premium. Now, even though these are called "full coverage dental plans", the term can be a little deceiving.

Just with any other insurance plan, you will have your treatment and then you will either pay for the full procedure and then file a claim for reimbursement or you will pay out of pocket your co-pay amount and the dentist’s office will claim their portion from the insurer themselves. This only starts after you’ve met your deductible and you may run into situations where your procedure isn’t covered because it falls under their pre-existing condition clauses since the treatment was for some condition you had when you applied for the insurance.

Full coverage dental plans will cover basic dental treatments such as cleanings and will cover some major treatments such as the occasional cavity or extraction treatment. They will not, however, often cover many more expensive procedures such as crowns. A discount dental plan, on the other hand, will often offer cost savings for these more expensive procedures and some even have discounts for dentures and orthodontics.

So, what does full coverage dental plans cover? Here’s a list:

• Cleanings

• X-rays

• Fillings

• Bondings

• Caps

• Root Canals

• Other minor care

If you need to have dental surgeries, dentures, implants, braces, or other costly procedures you may find that the dental plan doesn’t cover them. The insurers’ reasoning behind this is that most of these procedures can be prevented through regular check-ups and minor care or they are considered cosmetic procedures. You may find exceptions if you get into an accident and your teeth are damaged, but you will have to prove the accident occurred.

If you’re at all concerned that you may need to have any of those expensive procedures in the future then you should look for plans while researching them that cover these procedures. One such situation may be if you have children that will need braces when they get older. If you make sure the procedures are covered your premium will be a little higher, but you will save loads of money in the future.