If you have dental insurance, you pay a monthly fee in exchange for access to various money-saving benefits. Since your hard-earned dollars are being put towards this investment, you’d probably like to squeeze as much coverage out of it as possible! But dental insurance is confusing. How can you make sure you’re getting the most value out of your benefits?
That’s what this post is going to explore! For some helpful dental insurance tips, keep reading.
Get to Know Its Quirks
Every dental insurance plan is different. The finer details of your policy likely won’t look the same as someone else’s, which is why dental offices are often happy to review their patients’ plans and provide assistance. There are two common quirks you should be aware of, though, because they’ll affect your spending strategy. Here’s the scoop:
- An annual maximum caps how much coverage your dental insurance will pay out every year – sort of like a yearly allowance. Note that this number doesn’t roll over, so if you don’t use all of your coverage money in a given year, you lose it!
- You might have to reach a deductible first. Many insurance plans don’t start doling out coverage for some services until you spend a certain amount of money out-of-pocket.
Keep these points in mind as you read on!
Schedule Those Checkups and Cleanings
Most dental insurance plans cover 90% – 100% of checkup and cleaning visits even if you haven’t reached your deductible. This actually works in your favor, because as a preventative care measure, these types of appointments can spare you from having to receive costly treatments in the first place! Be sure to schedule them biannually to take full advantage of this detail.
Don’t Procrastinate Dental Treatment
If you do need a dental treatment for addressing an injury, gum disease, tooth decay, or other condition, it’s best not to put it off. More often than not, these problems only get worse with time and will cost more money as they become more complicated. Plus, if you schedule treatment earlier in the year, it’s easier to both hit your deductible and avoid having leftover cash under your annual maximum.
Evaluate Your Dental Insurance Plan
With 2024 coming to a close, now’s a great time to dive into your dental insurance plan to reevaluate how well it works for you. If you’re not feeling the benefits of your policy, maybe you need to implement a different spending strategy, or maybe you simply need to shop for new insurance.
Dental insurance can seem daunting. With these tips and help from your dentist, though, you’ll be primed to get the most value out of your benefits!
About the Dentist
Dr. Anthony Dillard believes that the most rewarding part of dentistry is being able to help patients get the dental care they need. He understands that dental insurance plays a huge role in making quality services more accessible to more patients, which is why he and his team proudly accept all PPO plans. If you need dental care or would like help navigating your dental insurance plan, contact Dr. Dillard’s office at 972-394-1492.