Insurance & Financing

Do you accept dental insurance?

Yes, we accept many major insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, and help you maximize your benefits. The treatment coordinator will help you get pre-authorized, get a coverage estimate, submit the actual insurance claim for processing and assist you with any uncovered balance repayment strategies.

What if I don’t have dental insurance?

That's where our financing options may help. We work specifically with CareCredit, one of the best and most flexible dental financing companies in the industry. They offer flexible financing options to help make your care affordable. Also, Dr. Anna Belous and Dr. Adriana Palacio may suggest alternative, less expensive treatment options that will not compromise the quality of clinical care.

Can I get a cost estimate before treatment?

Absolutely. We provide clear, detailed estimates so you understand your costs upfront. Also, we work with you to pace your appointments and different items on your treatment plan, so that everything fits your financial situation without putting any pressure on you. If you need to delay or postpone certain treatment, we will help you prioritize and decide what may need to be done sooner and what can wait.

Why use dental insurance and/or financing options?

We understand that cost is a major concern for many of our patients. We are happy that our emphasis on holistic and minimally invasive dentistry helps keep the cost of care low for most of our patients. It is much less expensive to prevent dental problems than it is to treat them. Lifestyle changes necessary to foster good oral health may have some cost, but it's usually low and it's spread out over time.
However, no amount of prevention can stop all decay. Even with our best efforts, sooner or later some of our patients are going to need treatments, and sometimes these can get expensive. Also, some treatment is not a verdict on one's poor oral health maintenance habits. Genetics and one's microbiome play their roles in natural abilities to fight decay. And then, of course, there are some cosmetic procedures that have little to do with one's oral health, per se. Someone may just want to straighten their teeth or close that triangle or gap between their teeth. To help cover the cost of these procedures, many patients will want to rely on insurance and/or financing.

What are the limitations of dental insurance?

It’s important to remember that insurance is a business whose primary motivation is to make money. Insurance companies make their money by taking in more in premiums than they pay out in benefits. To skew the balance in favor of their income, insurance companies put many limits on the benefits they pay out.
This is even more true of dental insurance than for medical insurance. Often, dental insurance comes with very strict limits about what it will and won't pay for. This may include limitations on what types of procedures it will cover (even down to the materials your restorations can be made of), when and how often you particular procedures can be covered, and how much insurance will pay over the course of a year. Dental insurance may also limit which dentist a person can see if they want to take advantage of their benefits.
When you add in these limitations, people with insurance will pay, on average, about $200 more per year for their dental care than they might without insurance, once premiums are factored in.
Some people benefit from dental insurance, but about half of us do not.

What is dental financing and how does it work?

When you need a dental treatment that isn't covered or want cosmetic dentistry your insurance won't cover, financing can help you bridge the gap. We work with CareCredit, which offers special dental financing options.
You can get purchases that come with no interest if paid within a particular period, ranging from 6 months to 24 months, depending on the amount financed. This can allow you to get financing with no interest charges if you pay off the full amount within the promotional period. However, the interest rate may be high if you do not pay off the full amount in time.
You also have the option of getting a monthly payment plan with fixed interest that allows you to pay over an extended period of time, up to 60 months depending on the amount financed. This allows you to stretch out the payments with a much lower and more reasonable interest rate.
The reason we have partnered with CareCredit is because we have found them to be by far the most flexible and patient-friendly option that aligns with our practice's philosophy - oral health and dental treatment should be accessible to all people, regardless of their financial situation.

How should I be looking at the dental care costs from an investment standpoint?

When you are considering dental care, it's important that you don't just count the immediate cost, but you measure the life-time value of what you are receiving. Choosing the cheapest procedure or working with the cheapest dentist may end up costing more in the long run, if restorations fail and have to be replaced more often. Some failures can even put other teeth at risk. And, of course, the long-term value of any dental treatment is improved dental health, which has a direct and scientifically proven connection to your overall health, particularly your digestive & metabolic, cardio-vascular, cognitive & neurological, and pulmonary health. So, maintaining your oral health usually leads to several thousand of dollars worth of savings on annual healthcare costs, fewer sick days, and an improved quality of life and even the lifespan itself. That is immeasurable in dollars. Dr. Anna Belous and Dr. Adriana Palacio always strike a balance between what is best for the patient clinically and the cost it may bear.