In these tough economic times it is becoming more commonplace to find many people without any dental insurance. If this describes you or someone you know, here are some pointers to help out. A first step is to empower yourself by practicing prevention by consuming a proper diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies. This step alone can make a tremendous improvement in your general and oral health. And a second step that is equally important is to obtain and maintain good daily oral hygiene habits. This includes proper flossing and brushing with an ADA (American Dental Association) approved fluoride toothpaste to help arrest dental disease before you even see a dentist.

Learn more when you continue reading this Dear Doctor response to an actual patient's email, Finances and Dental Care.

After your dentist gives you the news that you need a dental procedure to restore your good oral health, you may next wonder if the procedure will be covered by your dental insurance. You can most often determine the answer by understanding your policy's coverage.

Or if you've had the procedure and your insurance claim was denied, review your explanation of benefits denying the procedure. Sometimes procedures are covered after you've met a deductible or after an exclusionary period. If the later, this means that your policy has a defined non-benefit period and that the procedure and the cost or a portion of the cost may be covered after the specific timeframe.

Discover more reasons why you should understand your dental benefits in Dental Insurance Coverage.