Think of the word \'health insurance\' and the idea formed in your mind is of covering serious diseases through insurance plans. Yet dental insurance, in many ways, is different from health insurance.

Health insurance plans usually provide coverage for serious diseases that by their very nature can be unpredictable and catastrophic. Medical treatment can be extremely expensive and a purchased individual health insurance plan can help relieve tension to some extent. This is not say that health insurance plans do not cover routine check-ups and common ailments. The point is that even if companies provide group insurance plans, it is better to safeguard yourself for the future. Most plans provide limited coverage and if you decide to opt for the ones with greater benefits, the cost factor might become an issue.

This is a situation that calls for utmost discretion and it is for you to perform the balancing act between cost and coverage- you cannot go beyond the budget, but good health too is of utmost importance.

Dental insurance is different from health insurance in that the dental problems are neither unpredictable nor catastrophic. Most dental treatment is preventive by the nature and good hygiene, to a large extent, can prove to be a panacea for your dental ailments.

That said, dental insurance is cheaper than health insurance. The reason for this again lies in the difference in the seriousness of diseases. Visiting charges to a dentist can prove to be cheaper than the monthly premiums paid for a dental coverage policies. This is why there are fewer companies in the market providing dental insurance as compared to those selling health insurance policies.

Most companies provide group dental insurance coverage to their employees as a major perk to keep their employees happy. Because of the large number of employees, the insurance companies are able to provide greater coverage at reduced rates. People with group dental insurance plans do not require additional individual dental coverage.

This is not so with health insurance. Even if the company provides medical coverage, buying individual health insurance is a safer option that will prove beneficial in the long run.