If you’re shopping for an individual dental health plan, then you’ve probably seen the term PPO. So, how do you know if a dental PPO is right for you?

Check out these pros and cons:

1. PRO – a dental PPO is “traditional” dental plan insurance

If you want a dental health plan that’s “normal” – as in, you pay monthly premium payments, meet your deductible, pay your copays, and get the bulk of expenses covered by your insurance company – then a dental PPO might be perfect for you.

2. PRO – a dental PPO doesn’t come with as many rules as other plans do

If you wind up with an HMO dental health plan, you’re going to wind up getting approval for everything. Before you can make an appointment with your dentist, you’ll need to get your insurance company’s approval. And before you can make an appointment with a specialist, you’ll have to go see your primary dentist first to get a referral. It’s all a big hassle!

Luckily, a dental PPO doesn’t come with any of those rules. If you need to make an appointment with someone, you just go do it!

3. CON – you’ll be restricted to certain providers under a dental PPO

Whether you have an individual dental PPO or a family plan, your PPO will come with a list of approved dentists and specialists. As long as you go to one of the dentists on the list, you’ll have full access to your policy’s benefits. However, if you don’t go to someone that’s on the list, your insurance company may make you pay some – or even all – of the bill!

That’s why it’s so important to check out the provider list before you sign up for any kind of PPO dental health plan. If your insurance company doesn’t have a lot of dentists on its list, you may wind up waiting a long time to get appointments, or you might be stuck with providers that you don’t really like. If you live in a smaller town, you may not even have any approved providers close by!

4. PRO – that list of providers can save you a ton of money

Before you get all upset about a dental PPO approved provider list, it’s important to understand that it can actually save you money! For dentists, part of being on the list for your dental plan insurance means offering your insurance company discounts on services and procedures. Since your insurance company will pay less for your treatment, they can pass their savings onto you. That’s why PPO dental plan insurance typically comes with much lower premiums and deductibles!