MetLife
MetLife dental in Oak Lawn, made simple.
We're in network with MetLife dental PPO plans at our Oak Lawn office, a short drive from Uptown. MetLife plans often come through an employer, and the details differ a lot from one plan to the next, so we check yours before treatment.
- Our status
- In network, MetLife dental PPO
- On your card
- Look for PDP
- From Uptown
- About a 9-minute drive
Is Soleil Dental a MetLife dentist?
Yes. We're in network with MetLife dental PPO plans. MetLife calls its PPO network the Preferred Dentist Program, or PDP, and you may see those letters on your card or in your plan documents.
MetLife also offers other kinds of dental coverage in some places, including HMO-style plans. If your card or benefits summary says DHMO, call us before booking so we can talk through your options.
Employer, voluntary or federal: where your plan comes from
Where the plan comes from changes a lot about what it pays, which is why we'd rather look it up than guess.
Employer plans
Your company picks the coverage and often pays part of the premium. These plans frequently have no waiting periods, though some do.
Voluntary plans
Offered through work but paid mostly or fully by you. Waiting periods for basic and major care are more common here.
Federal employees
MetLife is one of the dental carriers in FEDVIP, the federal dental and vision program, so some federal employees and retirees have MetLife through it.
Individual plans
Bought on your own, sometimes with lower maximums and longer waits for major work.
Waiting periods and annual maximums
A waiting period is the time after you enroll before certain care is covered. It's often none or short for preventive care, and longer for major care like crowns, bridges or dentures. If you're new to a plan and need bigger work, we can plan treatment around when coverage starts, as long as waiting won't put the tooth at risk.
The annual maximum is the most MetLife will pay in one benefit year. When treatment costs more than one year's maximum, we can sometimes stage it across two benefit years. We'll only suggest that when it's safe to wait, and we'll tell you plainly when it isn't.
Your MetLife online account shows your benefit year dates, your deductible and what you've used so far.
Cleanings, x-rays and how often MetLife pays
Preventive care is where most MetLife plans are most generous, but it comes with frequency limits. A common pattern is two routine cleanings a year, bitewing x-rays about once a year, and a full set or panoramic x-ray every few years. Your plan may differ.
Before your visit, we check when you last had each one, so we don't take x-rays your plan won't pay for yet. If you're switching from another dentist, recent x-rays from that office can help.
Implants and crowns with MetLife
Coverage for implants varies from plan to plan. Some MetLife plans cover implants as major care, some cover only part of the process, and some don't include them. Implants are placed right here at our office and planned with 3D cone beam imaging, and we check your plan before you decide anything.
For crowns, bridges and other major work, we can ask MetLife for a pre-treatment estimate, so you see the plan's answer before we begin. It adds a little time, and in exchange you get fewer surprises.
Getting here from Uptown
Our office is at 4807 Maple Ave, Suite 300, about a 9-minute drive from Uptown. It's a ground-level storefront with parking out front, across the street from Kroger. We're open Tuesday 9 to 3 and Wednesday to Friday 10 to 5, and closed Saturday through Monday.
What to send before your first visit
- Photos of the front and back of your MetLife card, or the member ID from your MetLife account.
- Your employer or group name.
- The name and date of birth of the person the plan is under.
- Your plan's start date, if you just enrolled, so we can check any waiting periods.
Text it to us and the front desk will check your benefits before you come in.
Questions