FYI

When patients are unclear about their dental coverage, treatment plans or costs, it can lead to misunderstandings, unmet expectations and lost trust. However, with clear communication and upfront education, you’re more likely to make your patients feel supported and improve their experience with your dental practice. 

Skip to our benefits conversation guide
 

Begin by focusing on 6 important areas:

1. Verify benefits and create clear treatment plans before starting treatment.
   
   • Use Provider Tools to check eligibility, coverage type, frequency limits and annual max, if applicable.
   • Identify and inform your patients about what’s covered, partially covered and not covered. Address any non-covered treatments and alternatives early with clear explanations and a willingness to discuss.
   • Provide a written treatment plan with estimated costs and get a signed financial consent form from the patient before proceeding.
      
2. Provide pre-treatment estimates to prevent surprises.
   • Submit a complete treatment plan with CDT codes and required documents.
   • Use Provider Tools for fast pre-treatment estimate submission.
   • Help patients understand costs upfront to avoid surprises.
      
3. Be ready to answer patient questions (even the ones they don’t ask). Transparency builds trust. Identify common questions your patients may ask and walk them through the answers:
   • Will my insurance cover this?
   • What will I owe out-of-pocket?
   • Are there affordable, covered alternatives?
      
4. Use simple, empathetic language to explain coverage. Clarity helps patients make informed decisions. Use conversation starters such as:
   • “Your plan covers cleanings. Other services may have a deductible.”
   • “We’ll send an estimate first so you can review the costs.”
   • “This isn’t covered, but we can discuss alternatives.”
   
   
5. Be prepared to answer treatment-related questions.
   • What’s the procedure?
   • Why is it necessary? Are there alternatives?
   • How many visits will it take? What’s recovery like?
      
6. Support transparency with documentation.
   • Ensure signed treatment plans, financial responsibility forms and clinical documentation are in place.
   • Submit documents on time to help resolve issues quickly and minimize administrative back-and-forth.
      

Put it into practice with our benefits conversation guide

Transparency reduces misunderstandings and builds trust with patients. Clear documentation protects your practice and speeds up resolution if issues arise.

Get our benefit conversations guide for a more detailed list you can print, use for staff training and reference when talking to your patients.