What’s Included in Our In-House Membership Plan
August 26, 2026 9:00 amDental care is a lot easier to plan for when you have a better idea of what things are going to cost. If you do not have dental insurance, or if your current coverage does not feel like the best fit, an in-house membership plan can give you a more predictable way to handle routine care and save on additional treatment. At Caring Smiles Dental in Hoffman Estates, IL, Dr. Ankur Patel offers an in-house dental membership plan designed to keep the process clear and easy to use.
The plan costs $99 per year and includes complimentary exams and X-rays, discounts on professional teeth cleanings, and 20% off additional treatments. There are no deductibles, no waiting periods, and no third-party claim approvals to deal with. Instead, the benefits are offered directly through the office, so you can use them without sorting through the usual insurance paperwork first.
For some patients, that can make dental care feel much less complicated. You already know exams and X-rays are included, and if treatment is needed afterward, the membership plan gives you an immediate discount. So rather than wondering what insurance will allow or whether you have hit a yearly limit, you can focus more on the care itself.
What the Membership Plan Covers
The Caring Smiles Dental membership plan includes several benefits for one annual fee of $99. Members receive complimentary exams and X-rays, discounts on professional teeth cleanings, and 20% off additional treatments. Plus, those savings begin right away once you enroll.
Because the plan is offered directly through Caring Smiles Dental, there is no insurance company sitting between you and the office. You do not have to wait for a claim to be processed before finding out whether a service is covered. Instead, the membership benefits are applied through the practice according to the plan terms.
That makes the whole setup easier to follow. You know what the annual fee is, you know which preventive services are included, and you know that additional treatment receives a set discount. For patients who are uninsured or underinsured, that kind of predictability can be a welcome change from paying full price for every visit.
Complimentary Exams and X-Rays Are Included
Routine exams are one of the main ways Dr. Patel keeps an eye on changes in your oral health. During an exam, he can check for cavities, worn fillings, cracked teeth, gum inflammation, changes in the bite, and other concerns that may not be obvious at home. Meanwhile, X-rays can show problems that are much harder to spot just by looking in the mouth.
For example, X-rays can reveal decay between teeth, changes around tooth roots, bone loss, or other issues below the surface. Because exams and X-rays are complimentary through the membership plan, those diagnostic visits are already built into your annual membership. That can make it easier to stay on top of routine care instead of waiting until something starts hurting.
Has it has been a while since your last visit? Once you are enrolled, the basic diagnostic part of the visit is already covered through the plan. From there, Dr. Patel can explain what he sees and whether anything else needs attention.
Professional Cleanings Are Discounted
The membership plan also includes discounts on professional teeth cleanings. Cleanings help remove plaque and tartar that brushing and flossing cannot always reach, especially along the gumline and between teeth. They also give the hygiene team a chance to watch for bleeding, inflammation, recession, or other changes in the gums.
If your gums are healthy, routine professional cleanings may be all you need to keep that buildup under control. However, if deeper periodontal pockets or gum disease are present, a different type of cleaning may be recommended. The team can explain which type of care fits your gum health before treatment begins.
Having a cleaning discount built into the plan can make it easier to keep those visits on the calendar. Rather than treating each cleaning like a separate expense you have to think about from scratch, you already know there is a membership benefit attached to it. Over the course of the year, that can make routine care easier to budget for.
Members Receive 20% Off Additional Treatment
If an exam shows that you need more than preventive care, the membership plan provides a 20% discount on additional treatments. That may include restorative or other dental procedures offered through Caring Smiles Dental, depending on the plan terms. The discount is applied directly through the office rather than being sent through an insurance claim.
For example, if you need a filling, crown, or another procedure, the membership discount can reduce the amount you pay out of pocket. That can be especially useful when you do not have insurance helping with part of the cost. And because the discount percentage is already established, you have a clearer idea of how the savings will work before treatment starts.
The office can review the cost with you before you move forward. If several procedures are recommended, the team can also explain how the discount applies to each one. That way, you are looking at actual numbers rather than trying to guess what a future claim might do.
There Are No Deductibles or Waiting Periods
Traditional dental insurance often comes with deductibles, yearly maximums, and waiting periods for certain procedures. An in-house membership plan works differently. With the Caring Smiles Dental plan, there is no deductible to meet before you can start using the benefits.
There is also no waiting period after enrollment. Once you complete the enrollment process and pay the annual fee, you can begin using the included services and discounts right away. So if you are due for an exam now, you do not have to enroll and then wait several months before using the plan.
Because the plan is not insurance, there are also no annual coverage maximums in the usual insurance sense. You are not waiting for an insurance company to decide how much of your treatment it will cover. Instead, the membership benefits and discounts are handled directly through Caring Smiles Dental.
No Claims and No Third-Party Approvals
One of the biggest differences between an in-house membership plan and dental insurance is who handles the process. With insurance, treatment may involve claim forms, coverage rules, pre-authorizations, or denials. With the Caring Smiles Dental membership plan, there is no third party reviewing a claim before the office can apply your benefits.
That removes a lot of back-and-forth. You do not have to wait for an explanation of benefits to arrive before you understand what the plan did or did not cover. Instead, the office can explain the membership savings directly when treatment is discussed.
For patients who prefer a more direct setup, that can feel much easier. You are working with the dental office itself rather than trying to interpret an insurance policy at the same time. The benefits and discounts are handled through the practice according to the membership terms.
How the Membership Plan Differs From Dental Insurance
The membership plan is not a dental insurance policy. Instead, it is offered directly by Caring Smiles Dental and gives members specific included services and discounts. Although both can help with dental costs, they work in different ways.
Traditional dental insurance may include deductibles, yearly maximums, coverage percentages, exclusions, and claim processing. The membership plan does not use those same rules. There are no claim forms, no waiting periods, no third-party approvals, and no pre-existing condition limitations listed as part of the plan.
The membership plan also applies discounts at the time of service. So you are not paying the full amount and then waiting to see what an insurance company reimburses later. For many patients without insurance, that direct setup is easier to understand and easier to plan around.
Can You Have Insurance and a Membership Plan?
In most cases, patients choose either dental insurance or the in-house membership plan. However, there may be situations where having access to both can be useful. For example, the membership discount may help after insurance reaches its annual limit, depending on the treatment and how the plan is being used.
There may also be times when one option provides better savings for a specific service. Or perhaps adding a spouse or dependent to an insurance policy would be much more expensive than enrolling them in the in-house plan. In those situations, it makes sense to compare the numbers rather than assume one option will always be better.
Because every insurance policy is different, it helps to ask before making that decision. The Caring Smiles Dental team can review the details with you and explain how the available options may work for your situation. Then you can choose the approach that gives you the best value for the care you need.
Who May Benefit From an In-House Membership Plan?
The plan can be a good fit for patients who do not have dental insurance. Instead of paying full price for exams, X-rays, cleanings, and treatment, members have a set annual fee and built-in savings. That can make it easier to stay consistent with routine care throughout the year.
It may also be useful if your current insurance has limited benefits or a low annual maximum. Once an insurance plan reaches that limit, the remaining cost usually becomes your responsibility. In some situations, the membership plan may offer another way to reduce what you pay out of pocket.
Families may want to compare the numbers as well. If adding another person to an employer-sponsored dental plan is expensive, paying $99 per year for the in-house membership plan may be worth looking at. The team can walk you through the details before you decide, so you are not trying to do the math on your own.
Enrollment Is Simple
You can enroll in the membership plan during an office visit or by contacting Caring Smiles Dental directly. The team will go over the annual fee, included services, and discounts so you know what the plan covers before you sign up. That gives you a chance to ask questions and make sure it fits what you are looking for.
After you complete the short enrollment form and pay the $99 annual fee, the benefits can begin right away. There is no waiting period before you can use the included exams and X-rays or receive the applicable discounts. From there, the plan stays active according to the membership terms.
If you are already due for an exam or have been putting off care because you do not have insurance, enrolling may make the financial side easier to plan for. The office can explain how the membership applies before any treatment begins. That way, you know what the savings look like before you schedule additional care.
A More Predictable Way to Budget for Dental Care
Dental costs can feel harder to manage when every visit is a separate out-of-pocket expense. With the membership plan, you already know the annual fee is $99 and that certain services are included or discounted. That gives you a clear starting point for planning your care.
It can also make preventive visits easier to keep on your calendar. Since exams and X-rays are included, there is less reason to put them off just because nothing hurts. And if Dr. Patel finds something that needs treatment, the 20% discount can help reduce the cost of taking care of it.
Of course, the membership plan does not make every dental expense disappear. What it does do is make the structure easier to understand. You know what is included, how the discounts work, and who to ask when you have a question about the cost.
In-House Dental Membership at Caring Smiles Dental in Hoffman Estates, IL
The Caring Smiles Dental in-house membership plan gives patients a direct, predictable way to manage dental costs without traditional insurance. For $99 per year, members receive complimentary exams and X-rays, discounts on professional cleanings, and 20% off additional treatment. There are no deductibles, waiting periods, claim forms, or third-party approvals involved.
At Caring Smiles Dental in Hoffman Estates, IL, Dr. Ankur Patel and the team can review the plan with you, explain how the benefits work, and help you compare it with the options you already have. If you do not have dental insurance, want a more predictable way to budget for care, or are ready to enroll, call Caring Smiles Dental to learn more about the in-house membership plan!
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Categorised in: Financial
