Dentists can choose to join insurance providers’ preferred networks so that patients get the most out of their insurance benefits. If your dentist isn’t part of your new dental insurance provider’s network, you'll end up paying more for dental care.
As with other types of insurance, dental insurance companies prefer you use an in-network dentist and will cover a larger share of the cost than if you visit an out-of-network dentist. As part of their agreement with the insurance company, in-network dentists don’t charge patients more than the costs covered by the insurance plan.