There are trade-offs between dental insurance coverage and dental-discount plans. Or you may determine that neither is worth the up-front expense.

To determine if one form of coverage makes more sense than the other—or if you should pass on both—you need to do a little research. Call your dentist and ask for your bill totals for each of the past five years. Add the totals and divide by five. That will give you your average annual dental-care cost. Now compare it with the estimate total annual cost of dental insurance (premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses) and dental-discount plans (fees and discounted services) offered in your area.

Keep in mind, of course, that in any given year going forward you could face higher annual costs for special situations such as root canal and wisdom-tooth extraction.

If coverage makes financial sense, your choice between an insurance policy and a dental-discount plan will depend largely on whether you can afford the cost of coverage and you are comfortable using dentists in each one’s network.

Important: If insurance premiums are too high or the quality of discount-plan dentists is poor, your best option may be squirreling away money on your own to cover future dental costs. Save your estimated expenses in a separate bank account. Or set aside the sum you’ll need in a flexible-spending account if you’re offered one at work.

Want to Know More?

• What is Dental Insurance?
• How to Buy Dental Insurance
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