If you have not already done so, please read my previous post What to Do if you Get Sick?, as you need to know the important insurance terminologies before you read further about the Dental Plan.
Disclaimer- All information is provided in good faith. Nothing on this page is meant to be taken for medical, insurance or legal advice. Your use and reliance on anything on this site is solely at your own risk. All information is provided for general information and educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Please refer to a medical professional and/or your insurer and their Insurance policy documents for the latest updated information.
The Delta Dental Plan Overview
When you purchase the compulsory insurance for international students from Purdue, you actually pay for two medical plans. The first is the United Healthcare Health plan which I explained earlier. The other is a supplementary Dental Plan from Delta Dental. You don’t have to pay extra for this plan as its already included in the $1,610 (2023-24 prices) you paid at the start of the year.
The Delta Plan is a basic one- which unlike the UH Health Plan, has a maximum benefit of $750 per member per year on all dental covered services. That means any costs exceeding that in an year are all for you to bear.
Deductible – $50 Deductible per Member total per Benefit Year. The Deductible does not apply to diagnostic and preventive services, emergency palliative treatment,brush biopsy, X-rays, and sealants.
The Delta Dental PPO plan has two types of In-network providers- PPO and Premier and then they also allow out-of-network provider visits
| In network- Delta Dental PPO | – No balance billing on covered services – Most significant network discounts (with more than 368,000 office locations nationwide) – Dentists file claims for member |
| In network- Delta Dental Premier | – Provider charges cannot exceed the maximum allowed fee for Delta Dental Premier dentists – Significant network discounts with the most office locations nationwide (more than 434,000) – Dentists file claims for member |
| Out-of-network | – May be balance billed – No discounts – May need to file own claims |
The Benefits Payable under each type of Provider
Depending on which kind of Provider you visit, you may pay more. See the chart below:
Apart from the above, there are limitations as to the number of times you can avail of each of these type of services in any year. For eg Oral exams are payable a maximum of twice in one year. You can review these conditions in the detailed Schedule here.
You can estimate what your costs will be by visiting your Delta account
Illustrative examples of Dental procedures
List of Dentists near Purdue
As far as possible, try and visit a In-network PPO provider, if you can, in order to reduce your costs. If none are available, then you should visit an In-network Premier provider. Opting for an out-of-network provider is generally not recommended as you may pay more as a co-insurance as well as face excess balance-billing issues.
I have combed through the Delta Dental site and have shortlisted the following dentists (all within 5 km. of the University). All the following accept new patients. They are ranked based initially on plan acceptance and then distance from campus. For after-hours and weekend care, the best option seems to be Lakewood Family Dental.
| Name | Address | Contact Number | Service | Delta Plan |
| Dr. David Keens-Douglas* | Dental Care of Indiana Life Smiles, 200 Kingston Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47906 | (765)743-3779 | General Dentist | DD PPO |
| Dr. Zachary Bozic* | 520 W Navajo St, West Lafayette, IN 47906 | (765) 463-5437 | Paediatric Dentist | DD PPO |
| Dr. Christy Chen* & Dr. Jinhai Zhang | Salisbury Dental, 2520 N Salisbury St Ste B, West Lafayette, IN 47906 | (765) 250-9000 | General Dentist | DD PPO |
| Dr. Ronald Hinkel* | Dental Concepts Llc, 1435 Union St, Lafayette, IN 47904 | (765) 423-1551 | General Dentist | DD PPO |
| Lakewood Family Dental* (10 Dentists) | 2 Executive Dr Ste, Lafayette, IN 47905 | (765) 807-6666 | General Dentists; Periodontists; Offers Evening Hours & Weekend Hours As Well. | DD PPO |
| Dr. Brett Henrikson | Lafayette Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 953 Park East Blvd Ste, Lafayette, IN 47905 | (765) 807-0230 | Oral Surgeon | DD PPO |
| Dr. Kristin York*# | 2549 Yeager Rd Ste, 100 West Lafayette, IN 47906 | (765) 743-3122 | General Dentist | DD Premier |
| Dr. Sean Hart | 1533 Kossuth St, Lafayette, IN 47905 | (765) 742-8792 | Endodontist | DD Premier |
| Dr. Guthrie Carr# | 257 Sagamore Pkwy W Ste, West Lafayette, IN 47906 | (765) 497-6453 | Orthodontist | DD Premier |
| Dr. Edward Sammons | Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, 2347 Cason St, Lafayette, IN 47904 | (765) 447-6808 | Orthodontist, Paediatric Dentist | DD Premier |
* Denotes Has At Least 4 Stars in DentaQual independent dentist Quality Reviews as per the Delta Dental Site
# Denotes recommended by Townie Moms Cheat Sheet
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