According to the National Association of Dental Plans, in 2016 there were approximately 249.1 million people in the United States with dental insurance coverage of some form. That's roughly 77 percent of the population. For people who do have dental insurance coverage, a lot of the dental work they need is covered at least in part by their benefits. However, the other part of the population who have no dental insurance benefits often feel they have no options for getting the dental treatments they need. Thankfully, CareCredit is an excellent option available to help those with little or no dental coverage get the treatments they need when they need them.

A Look at the History of CareCredit

CareCredit is a financial service offered by a large lending institution known as Synchrony Financial, which has been in operation since 1932. Synchrony Financial is one of the largest credit-card providers in the United States, and it has multiple financial products available. However, CareCredit is easily one of the most well-known financial loan products offered by the institution; it is accepted through a national network of more than 200,000 healthcare providers and health-focused retailers. CareCredit started in 1987 specifically because many people wanted dental implants and other dental treatments that were not covered by dental insurance. While it is also available for other health procedures, the CareCredit card is still most commonly used for dental procedures.

Understanding How CareCredit Works

CareCredit is a credit card that will help you cover the costs of certain types of medical or dental procedures. There are over 200,000 providers that accept CareCredit. If you're interested in getting CareCredit to cover a dental procedure, we encourage you to complete an application online at carecredit.com. Typically, CareCredit has accommodating and flexible loan terms that allow you some freedom to find the payment plan that works for you and the dental treatment you need. 

Procedures Covered by CareCredit

The procedures covered by CareCredit will most often depend on the provider of services. Therefore, it is best to discuss what types of treatment for which your doctor, dentist or oral surgeon will accept CareCredit. In most cases, you can use CareCredit to pay for things like:

• Dental implants, crowns and other cosmetic procedures

• Maxillofacial surgery

• Sedation dentistry

• Wisdom teeth extraction

• Braces or orthodontic procedures