(407) 894-1100
(407) 894-1100
A Mills Dental Group team member laughing in front of the practice logo at the dental office in Orlando

Financial Options

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Know the number before the appointment

Cost is the reason most people put off dental work, and it is easier to decide when the number comes before the appointment rather than after it. For a routine check-up that is usually straightforward. For anything more — a crown, a root canal, implants — ask for the estimate in writing. It should be normal, not awkward.

This page explains how dental insurance and payment generally work, so the conversation at the front desk is a shorter one.

How dental insurance usually works

Dental insurance works differently from medical insurance, and most of the surprises come from that difference. Most plans share a few features:

  • Coverage tiers. Preventive care — cleanings, exams, routine X-rays — is often covered at a high percentage. Basic treatment such as fillings is covered at a lower one, and major treatment such as crowns, bridges and dentures lower again.
  • An annual maximum. The most the plan will pay in a benefit year. Anything beyond it is yours to pay.
  • A deductible. An amount you pay before the plan starts sharing the cost, often waived for preventive care.
  • Frequency limits and waiting periods. A cleaning may be covered twice a year and no more, and some plans will not cover major treatment until you have been enrolled for a set time.
  • Networks. PPO plans usually let you see any dentist but pay more toward one in their network. HMO-style dental plans generally cover care only from an assigned dentist.

The quickest way to know where you stand is to check with your plan and with the practice before the appointment. Bring your insurance card, and have the plan’s member services number to hand if a question comes up.

A front-desk team member smiling on the phone, checking a patient's dental insurance benefits in Orlando

Ask for a written estimate

For anything beyond a check-up, a written estimate is the single most useful document you can have. A good one lists each procedure planned, the fee for each, what your insurance is expected to pay, and what is left for you.

Where insurance is involved, a dental office can usually send a pre-treatment estimate to your plan first. The plan replies with what it expects to pay. It is not a guarantee — the final decision comes after the claim — but it takes most of the guesswork out of the bill.

If the treatment plan is large, ask whether it can be done in stages, and which parts are urgent and which can wait. Spreading work across two benefit years is sometimes possible and sometimes not advisable; the dentist can say which applies to your mouth.

Dr. Ferreira smiling chairside as he talks an Orlando patient through a dental treatment plan

Questions worth asking before treatment

  • What does this treatment cost in total, and what is included in that figure?
  • How much is my insurance expected to pay, and has that been checked with the plan?
  • Is any part of this likely to change once treatment starts?
  • When is payment due — at each visit, or at the end?
  • Which payment methods are accepted, and is there any way to spread the cost?
  • What happens if I need to pause treatment partway through?

If a payment plan or healthcare credit is offered, read the terms before signing. Some healthcare credit cards offer a promotional period with no interest, but charge interest back to the start date if the balance is not paid in full by the end of it. Health savings and flexible spending accounts can usually be used for treatment that is medically necessary.

Questions about a specific plan or bill are best answered on the phone: (407) 894-1100, or use the contact page.

Dr. Ferreira and a patient smiling together after restorative dentistry in Orlando

Frequently Asked Questions

Does dental insurance cover cosmetic treatment?

Usually not. Most plans cover treatment that is needed for health or function and exclude work done mainly for appearance, such as whitening or veneers placed for cosmetic reasons. Where a treatment is both — a crown that also improves the look of a tooth — coverage depends on the plan.

What is an annual maximum?

The most a dental plan will pay toward your care in a benefit year. Once it is reached, the rest of that year’s treatment is paid by you. Maximums typically reset each year, which is why larger treatment plans are sometimes split across two benefit years.

What is a pre-treatment estimate?

A request sent to your insurer before treatment, describing the planned work, so the plan can say what it expects to pay. It is not a guarantee of payment, but it is the best way to know your share before you commit.

Can I use an HSA or FSA for dental treatment?

Generally yes for treatment that counts as a qualified medical expense, which includes most preventive and restorative dentistry. Purely cosmetic procedures are usually excluded. Check the rules of your own account before relying on it.

Why might the final bill differ from the estimate?

Because some things are only known once treatment starts — a filling that turns out deeper than the X-ray suggested, for example — and because the insurer’s final decision can differ from its estimate. A good estimate says which parts could change and why.

I do not have dental insurance. Can I still be seen?

Most dental practices see patients without insurance. Ask what the appointment will cost when you book, and ask for a written estimate before any treatment beyond a check-up.

Questions about cost?

Call with questions about insurance or estimates before you book, or request an appointment online.

Request an AppointmentCall (407) 894-1100