I am a dentist. Discount plans are not dental insurance. You pay for the plan they give you a list of dentists that will do a list of procedures for a set fee, hence discount. Some plans are better than others. Usually dentists agree to the plan as a type of marketing to get patients. Some dentists treat discount patients differently than full fee ones. (less desierable appointment times, refering out patients to specialists instead of doing the work even though they do the procedure on other patients etc.) Most dentist treat discount patients fairly.