Dental coverage that survives a deposition schedule.
Dental insurance is the coverage solo attorneys and small-firm partners postpone most often — typically because the spreadsheet math looks marginal in isolation. Read in the context of pediatric orthodontia, periodontal maintenance, and the unbillable hours lost to a same-week root canal, the case is rarely marginal at all. Counsel Health structures stand-alone dental coverage alongside your medical plan, and bundles where the carrier rewards it.
Coverage architecture.
Dental plans are typically organized in three tiers of benefit, each reimbursed at a different coinsurance percentage subject to a small annual deductible and a per-policy annual maximum.
Preventive — usually 100% covered, no deductible
Two cleanings per year, annual exam, bitewing and panoramic radiographs, fluoride for pediatric members, and sealants on first and second molars. These are the visits that prevent the visits that cost.
Basic restorative — typically 70–80% after deductible
Composite and amalgam fillings, simple extractions, periodontal scaling and root planing for early-stage gum disease, and emergency exams. The coverage tier that, in practical terms, recovers the annual premium when a single problem is found.
Major procedures — typically 50% after deductible
Endodontic therapy (root canals), crowns, bridges, inlays and onlays, dentures and partials, oral surgery, and dental implants on plans that include them. Major-procedure benefits are subject to plan-specific waiting periods of six to twelve months on most carriers.
Orthodontia
Pediatric and adult orthodontia is offered as a rider on most family-tier plans, typically with a lifetime maximum of $1,000 to $2,500 per member. For families with two or more children entering orthodontic treatment, the rider pays for itself many times over.
Indicative monthly premiums for legal professionals.
For most of our solo and small-firm clients, a PPO with orthodontia rider at the family tier breaks even on a single child's braces and continues to deliver value through routine preventive care.
PPO versus DHMO — a practical choice.
PPO dental plans permit any licensed provider and reimburse at a higher rate in-network than out. DHMO plans require care from a contracted general dentist, with referrals for specialty work. PPOs are the right choice for counsel with an established dentist or specialist relationship; DHMOs win on price for households building one from scratch. We confirm your preferred providers are in-network before filing.
When dental belongs on its own policy.
Pediatric dental is technically included as an essential health benefit on ACA medical plans, but adult dental almost never is, and the pediatric benefit is frequently insufficient for orthodontia. A stand-alone dental policy at the family tier, layered onto your ACA medical, is the structure we recommend for most attorney households with school-age children.
Deductibility for self-employed counsel.
Dental premiums paid by a self-employed attorney are deductible above the line under the self-employed health insurance deduction, subject to the standard earned-income limitation. For S-corp counsel, premiums must be reported as W-2 wages to preserve deductibility — we coordinate with your CPA to ensure the reporting is correct.
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