I think that's an important question that many people probably don't know the answer to. I can say, with certainty, that typical personal or group dental insurance just doesn't cover enough when it comes to anything other than basic teeth cleanings. What if you need a crown? Or multiple fillings or some other unexpected problem... how much will you have to pay out of pocket?

That's my point exactly. Most people simply don't have enough coverage when them or their family needs it the most - and this is where supplemental dental insurance comes in. It doesn't take much to max out the yearly allowance, what happens when you go over? What about the major conditions mentioned earlier? What does your employer provided plan pay? 60% or maybe 70%? The remaining 30-40 percent can really add up when you're multiplying a $900 crown by three teeth.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that all you need is supplementant insurace to cover you during times of dental needs. This isn't the case at all - you still need your own primary dental insurance coverage. The purpose of supplemental is to "supplement."

These are gaining popularity in recent years. Essentially, with a dental discount card you'll participate in a membership or group type benefit that has negotiated discounts at participating dentists for you. This is an alternative to purchasing supplemental dental insurance, and in some cases even dental insurance at all. There are some cards tailored specifically to college students or those who don't have an employer to pay or co-pay part of their plan.

Make no mistake, however, that no matter what dental insurance plan you purchase or discount card you use - you absolutely must make sure that you know precisely what you'll be required to pay when you get your teeth cleaned, if you need a filling, or if you need major work like crowns done.

Make sure the total yearly covereage is enough and don't forget to check into pre-existing conditions if you have any! Your plan may not cover any major work for a 6 month or longer period because they don't want you to sign up just to get the dental work completed and you drop coverage.