Dental PPOs and Indemnity plans allow you to choose your dentist, and for many people, that can be a deciding factor in buying those types of dental insurance plans. Dental PPO plans to give you access to a network of dentists who have agreed to accept a reduced fee for their services. You will generally pay less for dental care if you see a dentist within the network. However, if you see a dentist outside of the network, you may have to pay more out of pocket, yet you still have coverage to see any dentist you want in or out of the plan network of providers.

On the other hand, Indemnity plans allow you to see any dentist you choose, regardless of whether they are in-network or out-of-network. However, the amount that the plan pays for your dental care may be limited to a certain percentage of the dentist’s usual and customary charges. If you see a dentist who charges more than the plan considers usual and customary, you may have to pay the difference out of pocket. Note: usual and customary charges can happen in a PPO plan when going outside the plan network of providers.

Are dental PPOs and Indemnity insurance plans worth the cost?

The answer is yes. If you know your dental needs and understand the terms and conditions of the insurance plan, many people are happy with their PPO plans. Trouble comes when you do not fully understand the limitations of dental insurance plans.