Thursday, February 5, 2026

Frequently Asked Dental Questions

Q. How are R&C (reasonable & customary) charges determined for dental benefits?
A. R&C dental fees are those that are usual, customary and reasonable, as those terms are defined below in a., b. and c.
  • A "usual" fee is that fee regularly charged and received for a given service by an individual dentist, i.e. his or her own usual fee. If more than one fee is charged for a given service, the fee determined to be usual shall not exceed the lowest fee, which is regularly charged, or is offered to patients.

  • A fee is "customary" when it is within the range of usual fees charged and received by dentists of similar training for the same service with the geographic area determined by the carrier to be relevant. A customary fee for a participating dentist is the fee allowed by the carrier in the Participating Dentist Agreement.

  • A fee is "reasonable" if it is "usual" and "customary" or if it falls above "usual" or "customary" or both, but is determined to be justifiable considering the special circumstances or extraordinary difficulty of the case in question.
Q. Sealants are known to come off during a lifetime, so why are they covered only once?
A. Sealant benefits do not include the repair or replacement of a sealant on any tooth within 2 years of its application.