Affordable Dental Care

What is freedom? Freedom means many different things. One freedom many strive for is financial freedom. One aspect of financial freedom is to be able to do what you want with your money. That is, you want to be free to choose how and where you want to spend it. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Not so for dental insurance companies!

As a Canadian, which is a country with universal access to healthcare, it has been surprising to me that dental insurance companies in America restrict people, you, their paying customer, to where you can get your dental care. They will only pay the coverage you have paid for if you see specific dentists THEY choose. You don’t get to choose! That’s not freedom. They tell you which dentist you can see, and which you cannot see. Well, that is, if you want to best use the dental benefit plans you are paying for.

Then, even if you use a dentist that they say you can use, they restrict you with what type of work and how much work they will cover. That’s not freedom either!

I know Cigna is a big provider of dental insurance on our island of St. Thomas. I know some of you would like me to be part of the dentist provider network (also called a PPO Program) of Cigna insurance so that you would get coverage for care you receive at my office. But listen to this, here is a message left by the Cigna representative for the US Virgin Islands. Here is what Cigna said when I called them in April of 2019 to discuss joining their network:

“Hi Dr. Wensing, this is Monica from Cigna Dental. I am calling you because I know you had called on Monday and have been looking to join our PPO program, and you’ve called three times before, I’m sorry about that, but right now we are not accepting any new applications for dental providers in the Virgin Islands for 2019…if you want to check back with me later in the year towards the end of the year possibly at that point I can see at that point if we can permit to add in any more doctors into the network but at this time we are not adding any doctors to the Virgin Islands so, sorry about that.”

Incredible right?! I am not free to do what I want either! And they are trying to restrict you as well! We’re both not free. There has to be something better.

Now, how much are you paying for your dental insurance every month? The average American spends about $400 to $600 every year. And they have a limit to how much they will cover! About $2000 every year on average. And a limit on how much they will cover for certain types of dental work! There has to be a better way!

We have the better way! Join our Office Membership Plan at St. Thomas Dental! You will be glad you did! Here’s how it works:

All plans WILL INCLUDE15% off: fillings, root canal therapy, extractions, deep teeth cleaning etc…​​
**15%off WILL NOT INCLUDE: Fluoride or any procedures that require the use of a dental lab**​
(ex: crowns, bridges, veneers, etc…)

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The bottom line:

For many people, our St. Thomas Dental Membership plan will cost you much less than
the costs for and limitations of their dental insurance (and will be easier to use)! You can afford the dental care you want and need. You can get the smile you have always wanted. Now, that’s beautiful.

Comparison:

Let’s Compare – Our St. Thomas Dental in office membership plan against most dental insurance plans you get through your work. As shown in the picture with this post, our St. Thomas Dental Membership Plan is the winner!

St. Thomas Dental Membership Plan vs Most Dental Insurance Plans

Features:	St. Thomas Dental Membership Plan	Most Dental Insurance Plans Through Your Work
Quick Plan Activation	Yes	Not usually
No Annual Limit to Amount Covered	Yes	No  (often is annual limit)
No restriction on type of dental work covered	Yes	No (there are restrictions)
No Paperwork Hassles	Yes	No (often paperwork)
No Co-pay or Deductibles	Yes	No (there are co-pay and deductibles)
No Premiums to Pay each Paycheck	Yes (a one-time low yearly fee)	No (often have paycheck deductions)
Cosmetic Dentistry Savings	Yes	No
No Waiting Periods	Yes	No
No exclusions	Yes	No
Only pay for services you need	Yes	No (Not usually)
Accessible to everyone of all ages	Yes	No (Not usually)
Lower costs for plan for your children’s dental care	Yes	No (Not usually)
A plan to cover seniors	Yes	No
Covers any and all dental work	Yes	No

Enrico Wensing DDS, PhD