It’s no secret that dental insurance can be confusing and hard to understand. Since it’s a monthly investment, it only makes sense that you’d want to make the most out of your coverage while you still can. Doing so can not only contribute to better overall health, but it can save you plenty of money down the line. With that in mind, a dentist in Houston shares a few ways you can maximize your dental insurance benefits before the year ends.
Keep Up with Regular Preventive Dental Care
Visiting your dentist every six months for a checkup and cleaning is critical for maintaining good oral health. These visits allow your dentist to prevent, detect, or treat dental problems before they turn into complications. That way, you can avoid needing more extensive and costly procedures down the line. Since preventive dentistry is essential for a healthy smile, most dental insurance plans will cover services like oral examinations, teeth cleanings, and routine X-rays at little or no cost to you!
Get Restorative Treatment Before the Year Ends
Although most dental insurance plans cover a large percentage of preventive dental care, they don’t offer as much coverage for other treatments. For example, restorative services like fillings, dental crowns, and root canals are often covered at a lesser percentage. As a result, you’ll have to pay some expenses out-of-pocket. If you’ve already hit your deductible and haven’t hit your annual maximum, you should schedule your restorative treatments as soon as possible.
Find Out When Your Benefits Expire
Every dental insurance plan is unique, but most tend to operate on a calendar-year basis. At the beginning of the year, you’re given an annual maximum which is the most your insurer will pay for approved treatments. If you have any benefits left unused by December 31st, they’ll expire and will not roll over into the new year. That said, it’s a good idea to schedule any outstanding dental work before the year ends so you can get the most out of your coverage.
Schedule Major Procedures in Advance
Complex dental treatments and procedures usually take multiple appointments to complete. If you think your dental work will exceed your annual maximum, ask your dental team if you can schedule part of it this year and the rest the next. With this strategy, you can use two annual maximums instead of one and decrease your out-of-pocket costs significantly.
Use Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Dollars
Some people have a flexible spending account (FSA) in addition to their dental insurance. It allows you to set aside tax-free money that can be used for many purposes, including medical and dental expenses. Even though most funds expire at the end of the calendar year, some have a grace period that allows owners to use their FSA in the first few months of the new year.
There’s still time to make the most out of your dental insurance. By following the tips outlined above, you can maximize your dental insurance benefits and walk into the new year with a healthier smile and more money in your pocket!
About the Practice
At Tamborello Dental Associates, we offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art, exceptional dental services guaranteed to meet you and your family’s oral health needs. Our team will always go the extra mile to ensure every patient receives the best treatment possible. If you need help understanding your dental insurance, we’re more than happy to answer any questions you have. Visit our website or call (713) 522-7540 to speak to a member of our team.