Low Cost Dental Care

COMMUNITY CLINICS

Below is a partial listing of community clinics in the greater San Fernando Valley area that may be able to help those who cannot afford traditional dental care. You may also call the Los Angeles County information line at 2-1-1 and ask for additional clinics in your area.

MEDI-CAL / (DENTI-CAL)

DentiCal patients may receive: oral exams, radiographs, prophylaxis and fluoride treatments; amalgam and composite restorations; prefabricated stainless steel, resin and resin window crowns; anterior root canal therapy; complete dentures, including immediate dentures; and, complete denture adjustments, repairs and relines. Dental services for for those less than 21 years old will continue unchanged.  Also known as the Medi-Cal Dental Program or Denti-Cal, a variety of important and timely information can be found throughout their website, www.denti-cal.ca.gov including: Beneficiary Services, Medi-Cal Eligibility, Publications, Provider Services, Outreach Services, Fraud and Abuse and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (ObamaCare). You will also find answers to the most commonly asked questions. Provider and Beneficiary Telephone Service Center toll-free phone numbers are listed for both Beneficiaries and Providers in their respective sections, including TTY for the hearing impaired.

Referrals to dentists who accept Denti-Cal can be found on the site or by clicking the following link:

www.denti-cal.ca.gov/WSI/Bene.jsp?fname=ProvReferral

To contact the Medi-Cal Dental Program by phone, please call the Beneficiary Telephone Service Center at (800) 322-6384. The call is free. Medi-Cal dental program representatives are available 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday to assist you.

By calling the central office of the San Fernando Valley Dental Society (818.576.0116), we can tell you which of our members participates in and accepts Denti-Cal.

DENTAL INSURANCE OPTIONS

Unlike many medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans encourage preventative measures. They generally encourage regular dental visits, and provide basic preventive dental care, in the hope that more serious dental problems may be prevented later on. Their theory is that dental preventive care results in both cost savings for the plan’s provider and improved dental health for patients.

Dental plans vary widely in their approaches to dentist selection, payment options, costs and benefits. The coverage you receive and the costs you incur will largely depend on the choices you and/or your company make. Many businesses let their employees choose between two or more plans. Differences between plans can be significant. Any plan is likely to have both benefits and drawbacks. Your company will likely provide you with the information you need to compare the dental insurance plans. If a choice of plans is available to you, there are a number of important questions to consider before deciding which one is best for you and your family.

Consider These Issues

• Are there fixed dollar limits on coverage?
• Are any forms of treatment excluded from coverage?
• Are there participating dentists within a reasonable distance of your home or office?
• What co-payments are required?
• Does the plan cover adequate preventive care, such as cleanings?
• Does the plan cover emergency care?
• Does the plan cover emergency care when away from the home or office?
• How important is it to choose your own dentist?
• Will the plan cover all of your family members?

The front office staff at your dental office are familiar with most dental insurance plans. Give them a call to see if they can help you decide which plan to choose.

Types of Dental Insurance Plans

Dental Discount

This type of dental plan is not insurance. The managing organizations have negotiated with local dental offices to establish a set price for a particular dental procedure and offer deep discounts (some up to 70%) off the regular ADA pricing code. This plan has several advantages over traditional dental insurance plans, namely, there are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions. This allows a patient to receive immediate coverage for work without meeting any waiting period requirements.

Indemnity - Dental Insurance

This is the plan where you choose your own dentist. The dental insurance plan pays the dental office (dentist) on a traditional fee-for-service basis. A monthly premium is paid by the client and/or the employer to an insurance company, which then reimburses the dental office (dentist) for the services rendered. An insurance company usually pays between 50% - 80% of the dental office (dentist) fees for a covered procedure; the remaining 20% - 50% is paid by the client. These plans often have a pre-determined or set deductible amount which varies from plan to plan. Indemnity plans also can limit the amount of services covered within a given year and pay the dentist based on a variety of fee schedules. Some typical features of these plans:

• High deductibles before coverage begins (well-designed plans don't apply the deductible to preventive services)
• Probationary periods on certain procedures that last up to a year
• Annual dollar limit on benefits
• Chose your own dentist
• Your average monthly cost: $15 to $25 per family member
• Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Dental HMOs

These insurance plans, also known as "capitation plans," operate like their medical HMO cousins. This type of dental plan provides comprehensive dental care to enrolled patients through a designated provider office (dentist). A Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) is a common example of a capitation plan. The dentist is paid on a per capita (per person) basis rather than for actual treatment provided. Participating dentists receive a fixed monthly fee based on the number of patients assigned to the office. In addition to premiums, client co-payments may be required for each visit. Some typical features of these plans:

• Monthly premiums (some require you to prepay a year's worth)
• Co-payments for office visits
• Free preventive or routine care
• You must select from an approved network of dentists
• May have an initial enrollment fee
• Annual dollar cap
• Your average monthly cost: $5 to $15 per family member
• Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Preferred Provider Organizations

A preferred provider organization ( PPO) falls somewhere between an indemnity plan and a dental HMO. This plan allows a particular group of patients to receive dental care from a defined group of dentists. The participating dentist agrees to charge less than usual fees to this specific patient base, providing savings for the plan purchaser. If the patient chooses to see a dentist who is not designated as a "preferred provider," that patient may be required to pay a greater share of the fee-for-service. A group of dentists agrees to provide services at a deeply discounted rate, giving you substantial savings — as long as you stay in their network. Unlike the more restrictive DHMO, though, you can go out of network and still receive some benefits. Some typical features of these plans:

• Monthly premiums
• Annual dollar cap
• You must stay within the approved network of dentists or pay higher deductibles and co-payments
• Your average monthly cost: $20-25 per family member
• Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Direct Reimbursement Plan

A dental care plan now coming into vogue is the direct reimbursement plan. This is a self-funded benefit plan — not insurance — in which an employer pays for dental care with its own funds, rather than paying premiums to an insurance company or third-party administrator. You, the patient, pay the full amount directly to the dentist, then get a receipt detailing services rendered and the cost, which you show to your employer. The employer reimburses you for part or all of the dental costs, depending on your specific benefits plan.

Your company might reimburse 100% of your first $100 of dental expenses and then 80% of the next $500, and 50% of the next $2,000, with a total annual maximum benefit of $1,500. Or it might reimburse only 50% of your first $1,000, resulting in a $500 yearly cap.Some typical features of a direct reimbursement plan:

• Neither you nor your employer pay monthly premiums
• Freedom to choose any dentist
• Typical employer cost: depends on the number of employees and benefit caps
• Benefits usually capped at $500 to $2,000 annually.

Dental Insurance

A variety of dental insurance programs are available.The following programs may be reviewed on their web sites.Some will require you to call and other will allow you to apply on line: NOTE:The San Fernando Valley Dental Society does not endorse any one insurance program over another. Please review all of your options carefully and select a program that suits your needs best.

DENTAL CARE FINANCING OPTIONS

Loans are always an optional way to finance your dental care if you can’t afford it at the moment you need it most.  This means checking with your bank, credit union or even using your credit card.

Another option available today is offered by a company called Care Credit. Many patients put off treatments and procedures because they cannot afford to pay. Doctors offer CareCredit payment plans as a convenient option to normal credit cards, cash or checks. CareCredit allows the patient to pay over time, often without incurring interest charges, instead of a lump sum prior to treatment.

Not all dentists offer every CareCredit plan. Once you are a CareCredit cardholder you can discuss with your dentist which plan works best for you and your budget.

Review the details and the different financing programs they have available, and find a Care Credit participating dentists by visiting www.carecredit.com.

NOTE: The San Fernando Valley Dental Society does not endorse any one financing program over another. Please review all of your options carefully and select a program that suits your needs best.

OPTIONS FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED WITH LIMITED FINANCIAL MEANS

SMILES FROM THE HEART

The dental society's charitable foundation offers a program to serve the unmet needs of low/no income adults with no government or insurance coverage and no ability to pay for needed dental care. Most care will be provided in our members' offices, so patients will need to be able to get to those offices on their own. Periodically, the program will conduct free dental clinics hosted by non-profit organizations in our area of service. Please call us if you need emergency help and can't afford to pay for treatment at 818.576.0116. Please also visit the foundation's website at: www.sfvdsfoundation.org.

Other Free Dental Care For Seniors in Need

Donated Dental Services (DDS)

If you are a senior or are disabled, and unable to afford dental care, you may be eligible for the DDS program

Who Qualifies?

Those 60 years and older with limited income who are unable to afford dental care

How Does it Work?

Simply fill out a DDS application, mail it in to determine if you are eligible. If you are eligible, the program coordinator will match you with a dentist in your area who will provide free dental care

Questions or for an application contact Ms. Sue Leer at the Dental Lifeline Network at 530.241.4222

San Fernando Valley Dental Society Foundation

Give Kids a Smile

Every February, the San Fernando Valley Dental Society participates in the American Dental Association's national program of screening and treating children.  The program is usually conducted at a wide variety of locations throughout the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys in school, pre-schools, community centers, shelters, YMCAs and member doctors' offices. Oral health screenings, fluoride applications and hygiene education are provided during the event.  Based on visual analysis by our doctors, those children needing additional services are referred to a dentist near their homes for follow-up treatment.

Smiles From the Heart

'Smiles From the Heart' is a program of the dental society's charitable foundation.  Its goal is to help those low income people in the areas where our members practice, who have no dental insurance, no government support, the homeless, undocumented and those with nowhere else to turn for dental help.  The program's guiding principles include saving as many teeth as possible and restoring functionality so that everyone can eat and smile - all at no charge.

Veterans' Smile Day

Additionally, for one week both before and after Veterans' Day each year, our members open their office to serve the oral health needs of our area's veterans at no charge.

For more information, visit the foundation's web site at: www.sfvdsfoundation.org or call 818.576.0116