Have You Used Your Dental Benefits Yet?

We are halfway through the year. While you may be planning your summer vacation or relaxing by the pool, have you considered using your family’s dental benefits. Not everyone has dental insurance, but if you do, it is a shame not to cash in on your covered services. Most dental insurance companies offer dental cleanings every six months, along with discounted fees on restorative work. Do you know what your specific plan covers? It’s time to find out before it’s too late, as dental benefits don’t roll over into the next year. Use them or lose them!

Here are a few things to know about dental insurance as we approach the last half of the year:

Yearly Maximums
This refers to the maximum amount of money your insurance company will spend on your dental care in a given year. Many plans have a yearly maximum of about $1000 per person.

Deductibles
Just like medical insurance, your deductible is the amount you can expect to pay out of pocket before your benefits are activated. Choosing a dentist in-network will reduce your deductible amount.

Premiums
This is the monthly fee you pay to the insurance company to receive benefits or coverage. If you don’t actually use the benefits and get dental care, then you are giving away your money.

Fee Increases
Fee increases are likely to happen each year. We see this all the time to accommodate the greater cost of living and more expensive materials. Fee increases can also cause your copays to be higher. This is a great reason to use your benefits in the current year, especially if you have a recommended dental procedure that needs to be done.

Dental problems don’t go away or even get better over time. Therefore, if you neglect to use your dental coverage for preventive services or timely restorative work, you could be facing serious oral health complications along with more costly treatment. There is a reason that your dental insurance covers or nearly covers preventive services such as cleanings and x-rays – this is the most important step you can take to avoid decay, gum disease, tooth loss and other leading dental problems.

At Red Oak Family Dentistry, we accept most major dental insurance plans. We are also happy to help you understand and maximize your specific benefits. For those patients who do not have insurance or who are under-covered, we offer several options, including in-house discounts and financing plans through CareCredit and Simple Pay.

Posted on Behalf of Red Oak Family Dentistry