Dear Deena,

Sorry to hear that you will soon be facing the drill, but there is some good news. The dental benefits package that is a part of the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan does include a discount plan for fillings (and other restorative services). In order to utilize the benefit, a student must receive services through Columbia Dental Associates (CDA), a program of the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery, which offers two clinic locations and two additional practices for oral surgery. All dental care is provided by dentists enrolled in a post-graduate fellowship program.

Students enrolled in the Basic level of the Student Medical Insurance Plan are receive a 10 percent discount off the Columbia Dental Associates regular fees. Students enrolled in the Comprehensive level of the Plan receive a 25 percent discount off the Columbia Dental Associates regular fees. Keep in mind that CDA's regular fees are already lower than the fees charged by private providers in the community. Therefore, students enrolled in the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan not only benefit from these lower fees, but also the further discounted rates offered to students in the Plan. As a result, the cost of receiving dental care through Columbia Dental Associates is likely to be significantly less than the cost of obtaining services through private dentists.

Columbia also offers dental insurance coverage to students and their dependents through the Aetna Advantage Dental Plan. Coverage through this plan is optional for students and provides dental insurance that covers hundreds of private practice dentists throughout the tri-state area in Aetna's network. For more information about rates and enrolling, visit Health Services' website.

For more information about CDA's services, students may call Columbia Dental Associates at 212.305.0763.

Students at schools other than Columbia should contact their school's health service for information about dental coverage. Other readers can consult the Human Resources department at their place of work, their insurance administrator, or the American Dental Association for a listing of providers in their area. Wishing you a fulfilling dental experience,