You may be surprised to learn that more people avoid the dentist for fear of the bill they'll get after going to a dentist than fear the dental work itself. The reason is that dental benefits insurance and dental HMOs have created such a confusing array of deductibles, annual limits, claims forms and services that are not covered, that the average person is never quite sure how much of the cost of dental treatment will be out-of-pocket. What you can be sure of is that elective and cosmetic dental treatments are not covered by dental benefits insurance. And it is highly likely that the cost of seeing a specialist such as an orthodontist (braces) or a periodontist (gums) will exceed your annual limit.

What can you do? Are there any alternatives to standard dental plans?

Fortunately, there are. Consumer driven dental plans are a REAL alternative to big insurance companies and their fall out. Put simply, consumer driven dental (CDD) plans provide all varieties of dental care at a large discount. CDD is not insurance. It is not Medicaid or Medicare. It is a well-thought-out dental plan that enables everyone--man, woman, child, over 60, under 5, with pre-existing dental conditions or without--to get the dental care they need, when they need it, at an affordable price. No surprises.

Whether you need braces or tooth whitening, root canal or caps, a regular check up or treatment for gum disease, you are "covered" with consumer driven dental plans. You are covered, but not in the sense you may be accustomed. Discount dental plans simply negotiate a fair price with dentists across the nation to an amount that is affordable to virtually anyone who is working for a living. There are no claims forms to fill out afterward, and no confusing bills that leave you wondering whether the bill was paid at all. The only surprises you get are these-no forms to fill out, no age limits, and no waiting periods. And the discounts are significant-up to 80% off the dentist's regular rates.

That's not all. If you need to compare prices, most discount dental networks will give you their rates vs. an insurance company's. Just ask.

So now there are no excuses, join a consumer discount dental plan today, and go to the dentist. It won't hurt a bit.