The old year is about to pass into oblivion, and the New Year is soon to begin. How much of your hard earned money is going to disappear with the old year? If you have dental insurance and haven’t taken full advantage of your dental benefits, you’re letting someone else pocket your money.
Know What Your Policy Covers
Most dental insurance policies fully cover preventive care. If you have coverage for your entire family, whoever has teeth, yes, even Junior, with those two budding teeth, needs to get that annual exam and cleaning before the year ends.
Your coverage may include sealants for the kids as well. If this is the case, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the opportunity. Dental sealants protect those precious little pearly whites from decay. Back teeth are full of grooves and fissures which can be very difficult to keep clean, and they are breeding grounds for decay-causing bacteria.
Unfortunately, dental insurance won’t cover every procedure you may need or would like to have. However, a discussion with your dentist or his billing manager can provide information about your dental benefits about what’s covered and what’s going to need to be an out-of-pocket payment.
Take Full Advantage of the Dental Benefits You Have
Once you know what your options are, do your best to Schedule An Appointments before the year ends, to take full advantage of your benefits. Be sure to check the benefit deadline date. Not all policies follow the calendar year. Knowing when your benefit year ends will keep you from being blindsided by an unexpected bill.
Plan Ahead for Next Year
If it turns out you will not be able to recoup all your insurance dollars in benefits this year, don’t despair. Use it as a lesson and be proactive in your planning for next year. Your dentist should be willing to work with you to make the most of your insurance dollars. He or she can assist in creating a plan that uses your dental benefits to the max in the coming year.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Your Oral Health
Pre-tax dollars are used to fund HSAs, and, generally, the money can be used for preventive dental care as well as procedures used to keep up oral health. Necessary dental procedures not covered by your insurance may be covered by your HSA.
What you need to know is that neither dental insurance nor HSAs will cover cosmetic dentistry. So, if you are interested in having your teeth professionally whitened, you will probably need to fit that into your budget and be prepared to pay out-of-pocket. On the other hand, if your teeth are crooked and creating problems, including bouts of gingivitis, you can use funds from your HSA to pay for getting your teeth straightened.
Thoughtful planning will keep your smile healthy and looking beautiful, and it can save you hundreds of dollars. If you are looking for excellent dental care in a calm relaxing environment, give us a call at Sair Dental. We treat all our patients with care and compassion at the highest level. We will also help you make the most of your dental benefits. Make an appointment with us today.