Dental insurance is an excellent investment to make because it can help you to save hundreds, or even thousands of dollars through the years when it comes to your dental care. By caring for your oral health, you are looking after your entire body. However, your dental insurance plan doesn’t work the same way that your health insurance does, so it may seem confusing to navigate at first. Continue reading to learn some tips to help you fully maximize your dental insurance benefits before the end of 2021.
Attend Your Routine Checkups
If you aren’t already seeing your dentist every six months for your routine cleanings and checkups, you aren’t even close to fully maximizing your dental benefits. When you attend these regular visits, you can prevent the development of oral health issues later. Your hygienist will thoroughly clean your teeth, and your dentist will take a look to ensure that you don’t have existing dental issues that need to be addressed. By catching small issues now, you may be able to avoid costly, more invasive procedures in the future. For example, if your dentist treats a cavity with a filling now, you might be able to avoid having root canal therapy or an extraction later.
Prevent General Health Problems
Your dental health and general health are very closely related. People who have gum disease are more likely to suffer from a variety of other serious health problems, some being life-threatening, like heart disease, diabetes, respiratory issues, and pregnancy complications. By utilizing your preventive care, you can prevent gum infections and overall health issues that will require lots of time and money to treat.
Choose an In-Network Dentist
If you have a PPO plan, this gives you the ability to choose any dentist you’d like, even if they aren’t on your list of “in-network” dentists. However, when you do choose an in-network dentist, you will likely benefit from increased coverage of your dental treatments, therefore resulting in lower out-of-pocket costs.
Use Your Flexible Spending Dollars
If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) through your employer, you should use these dollars before the year comes to an end because all of your funds may not carry over. Most of the time, dental expenses are eligible FSA healthcare expenses. FSAs reduce your taxable income by putting aside money for healthcare reasons. When you use tax-free dollars to pay for your dental treatment, you can ultimately save money.
Review Your Benefits Again
The end of the calendar year is coming up, so now is a great time to look over your dental benefits again. By knowing exactly what is covered under your plan and when it will reset, you will be able to better maximize your coverage. For most insurance plans, benefits will reset at the end of the calendar year. This means that you will be responsible for paying your deductible again on January 1st. Any remaining benefits will not carry over to 2022.
Now is a great time to head back to the dental office if you haven’t been in a while. If you need help understanding your dental insurance, talk to your dental team. This way, they can help you fully maximize your insurance benefits and get the most out of your care!
About the Author
Dr. Joe Ornelas earned his dental doctorate from Indiana University School of Dentistry and is committed to continuing education to keep his knowledge and skills sharp. Currently, he is a proud member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, Indiana Dental Association, and northwest Indiana Dental Society. A member of his team is happy to represent you on your behalf with your insurance carrier to file the necessary claim forms, so you don’t need to worry! For more information on dental insurance or to schedule an appointment at his office in Crown Point, visit his website or call (219) 663-2892.