Dental insurance is designed to pay a portion of the costs associated with dental care. There are several different types of individual, family, or group dental insurance plans grouped into three primary categories: (1) Indemnity (generally called dental insurance) that allows you to see any dentist you want who accepts this type of coverage; (2) Preferred Provide Network dental plans (PPO); and (3) Dental Health Managed Organizations (DHMO) in which you are assigned or select an in-network dentist and/or in-network dental office and use the dental benefits in that network.

Generally dental offices have a fee schedule, or a list of prices for the dental services or procedures they offer. Dental insurance companies have similar fee schedules which are generally based on usual and customary dental services, an average of fees in your area. The fee schedule is commonly used as the transactional instrument between the insurance company, dental office and/or dentist, and the consumer.