Twenty-six percent of dental practices have an in-office dental plan, according to a recent poll by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The poll was taken as a part of the ADA's monthly "Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry" report for the week of July 17. The ADA surveyed 874 owner dentists about if they offer an in-office dental plan.
In-office dental plans are when a patient pays the practice a fixed amount on either a monthly or annual basis. These plans can cover preventive services at no charge, and more complex services are provided at a discounted rate.
Here is the percentage of practices that have an in-office plan:
Yes: 26 percent
No, but I am considering it: 22 percent
No, and I am not interested: 45 percent
No, I don't know what that is: 7 percent
Of the 227 respondents that do offer a plan, 169 have the plan administered through the practice, while 58 contracted an outside company.