If you are under the impression that all medical aid schemes are the same then you are mistaken, as there are a lot of healthcare plans out there to choose from. A lot of them do not offer anything other than payment towards the expenses associated with hospital treatments, so if you are looking for other medical assistance such as dental treatment, you need to make sure that you are getting that coverage in your healthcare plan. In this article, we will take a closer look at the benefits of belonging to a dental plan, or a medical aid scheme that has extensive dental coverage.
When it comes to dental healthcare in South Africa, there are two main types, and they are Out of hospital and in-hospital. An out of hospital treatment is the normal treatment that you would expect to receive when you go to your local dentist for check-ups, fillings etc. In-hospital treatment includes trickier procedures such as the removal of teeth, and other dental procedures that would require you to take a general anaesthetic.
For the most part, most medical aid schemes will have provision for dental treatment in hospital, and such things as the removal of impacted wisdom teeth is something that ought to be covered. Of course, there are going to be some dental treatments that are not covered by dental healthcare in South Africa. So it is important to make sure that you choose your policy carefully.
For out of hospital dental work, you can expect to be covered against the costs of at least 2 check-ups every year, 2 scale and polishing per year, 1 filing per tooth per year, 1 set of dentures every 4 years, as well as things such as x-rays and root canals. If your policy covers advanced dentistry, then you can also be expected to be covered against the costs of orthodontic and periodontal work too.
Dental work can be expensive, especially if you have to undergo a dental procedure that requires you to attend hospital. There are a number of hospital plans that do not cover dental treatment, so it is important that you either take out a separate dental plan, or else find a medical aid package that covers the costs of dental treatments. Otherwise, you could end up with rather sizeable dental bills to pay for on top of your monthly medical aid premiums.
