Preventive dental care

Preventive dental care consists of services designed to avert dental disease before it starts, according to the American Dental Association. Preventive dental care procedures include cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants, which 97% of U.S.

Dental plans cover at 100%. Insurers classify exams, x-rays, and routine cleanings as preventive dental care examples per Delta Dental’s coverage guidelines, according to a report from YourInsurance.info.

Insurance usually covers two preventive visits annually for both adults and children; Aetna data confirms this frequency is standard. Most policies exclude fillings and extractions from preventive benefits and relegate them to basic coverage.

Sealants are included in preventive care coverage for children under 14 years old by carriers like Cigna. Policyholders do not pay deductibles or copays for preventive dental services on most ACA-compliant plans, based on Healthcare.Gov summaries.

Insurance companies require network dentists for preventive service coverage eligibility; UnitedHealthcare lists non-network dentist claims as uncovered for these benefits. Some carriers cap annual preventive visit reimbursements at $150 per person, per Blue Cross Blue Shield plan documents.

Insurers will deny repeated preventive procedures performed more than twice a year unless medically justified, according to Humana’s benefit stipulations.