Join A Discount Club

Need dental coverage, but afraid of the cost? Instead of losing your teeth, enroll in a discount dental plan, offered through major insurance companies like Aetna, Cigna and WellPoint. You'll pay about $100 a year ($150 for families) and save 20% to 30% on the cost of treatment by participating dentists. Before committing to a plan, make sure that the network has practitioners in your area and that the plan itself is legit (there have been an increased number of fraudulent discount companies most recently. You can check by seeing if the company is registered with your state insurance commissioner at www.naic.org.