Question: I have a teen in braces, but we moved from FL and need to find a new orthodontic dentist. Also, I just found out that since I moved to a different state, my dental insurance is not valid in CA, so I need dental insurance to help me cover my son’s orthodontic treatment.

Reply: You may find it hard to find dental insurance for your son’s orthodontic services since now he would fall under a work-in-progress exclusion many dental insurance plans have. Such exclusion would read something like this: Expenses incurred in connection with any dental procedure started prior to the effective date of Coverage or after the termination date of Coverage.

Even many dental discount plans have this type of exclusion, yet since it is not insurance, that can be a judgment call for the dental office. Therefore, your best option may be a dental discount plan, but make sure you call the plan providers first to confirm if they are still willing to provide the discount savings for this continued orthodontic care needs before buying the plan.