Out of Network Dental Insurance
When a dental office participates as a network provider for dental insurance, they agree to accept the fees dictated by that plan. This means, for example, if the insurance company tells the dental office that they can charge $1,000 for a crown, the insurance company may pay $600 and the patient would pay $400, but the total cannot exceed the fee the insurance company has set at $1,000.
The problem is that in an effort to attract members to their plan, some insurers set fees well below what is necessary for the dental office to provide sufficient quality care. There is the cost of materials and the time spent by the dentist and staff that need to be taken into consideration.
To continue our example: The laboratory fee the office pays a laboratory for making a crown can range from $100 to as much as $700 or more depending on the laboratory. The other factor dictated by the fee charged is how much time the dentist will need to perform to the procedure.
Some insurance companies allow only $600 for an entire crown procedure. This does not provide enough resources for the office to use a high-quality laboratory and makes it difficult for the dentist to allocate sufficient time to perform the procedure in a quality manner. The result can be poor color, materials and a poor fit, which can allow decay under the crown and result in premature failure.
If you go out-of-network for dental work, your insurance company will still pay a portion (often more than they would in-network), and you will be responsible for the balance. You may pay slightly more than you would if you went to an in-network provider; however, this alternative allows us to use the best materials available and allocate enough time to deliver the best care possible. Our patients tell us the advantages far outweigh the slight difference in cost.
How to schedule an appointment at Navid Family Dental Associates
Appointments may be scheduled by calling us at (978) 666-4318, or online using our Schedule an Appointment form.
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Not ready to schedule an appointment? Feel free to contact our office for a no-obligation "meet and greet"! This gives you the opportunity to come in and meet our friendly staff and dentists and get to know us better. We can then schedule your appointment while you're here!
Thank you for choosing Navid Family Dental Associates to be your dental health provider. Please let us know if there is any way we can make your experience better!
