Atlantic Dental Group · Wilmington, NC
Insurance, Financing and What Things Actually Cost
Money is the reason most people put off dental work, and vague answers make it worse. Here is how we handle it.
We verify your benefits before we quote
You should not have to guess what your plan pays. Bring your card, or give us the details on the phone, and we will run a benefits check before we put a number in front of you. That number is what you pay.
Most major plans accepted
We work with the large national carriers and most employer plans in the Wilmington area, including plans through Novant Health, PPD, GE Vernova Hitachi, Corning, Live Oak and New Hanover County Schools. Military families on TRICARE and United Concordia are welcome.
What insurance usually will and will not do
Preventive care, meaning exams, cleanings and x-rays, is generally covered at or near 100 percent twice a year. Fillings and extractions typically sit around 80 percent after deductible. Crowns, bridges and dentures around 50 percent. Purely cosmetic treatment is usually excluded, and implants vary enormously by plan.
Annual maximums and the December problem
Most plans cap out somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 a year, and the balance does not roll over. If you have a large plan of treatment, we will sequence it across two benefit years where the clinical situation allows it.
If you have no insurance
A good number of our patients do not. Third-party financing spreads treatment into monthly payments, with interest-free terms available over shorter periods for patients who qualify. We go through the options at the consultation.
Written estimates, always
Every plan of treatment above a routine visit comes with an itemized written estimate showing the fee, the expected insurance contribution and your portion. You take it home and think about it.
Questions we get asked
Do you take my insurance?
We work with most major dental plans and employer plans across the Wilmington area. Give us your carrier on the phone and we will verify your specific benefits before quoting anything.
What if I have no dental insurance?
A good share of our patients do not. Third-party financing spreads treatment into monthly payments, with interest-free terms over shorter periods for patients who qualify.
Will you tell me the cost before treatment?
Yes, in writing, itemized, showing the fee, the expected insurance contribution and your portion. You take it home.
Does Medicare cover dental treatment?
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a limited dental benefit with an annual cap, and we will check yours.
My plan has a waiting period. What now?
Waiting periods usually apply to major work rather than preventive care. We will confirm the dates and, where the clinical situation allows, sequence treatment around them.
Ready when you are
Honest dentistry, since 1987.
We will tell you what needs doing now, what can wait, and what we would leave alone.
- Over 50,000 patients treated since 1987
- Comprehensive new patient exam including oral cancer screening
- Three doctors and a long-tenured team
- Most major dental plans accepted
Been told you need a lot of work somewhere else? Second opinions are welcome and we give them straight.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
