With summer fast approaching, it’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through 2019! With the year half finished, your dentist wants to take a minute to remind you about your dental insurance benefits. Have you scheduled your two cleaning and checkup appointments for this year? Are you maximizing your dental insurance and receiving all the benefit dollars you’re entitled to? Here’s what you should know so you can make the most of your dental insurance in 2019.
How Most Dental Insurance Plans Work
Dental insurance plans typically run on a calendar year, which means benefits begin in January and end in December. Your plan probably also has a yearly maximum, which ranges anywhere from 1000 to 2000 dollars. This is the most your plan will pay for dental treatment during the year, and these dollars run out in December if they are not used. So you could potentially be losing thousands of dollars if you don’t utilize your 2019 dental benefits.
What does this mean for you and your family? That the perfect time is now to schedule any cleanings, checkups, or outstanding treatment that is needed for 2019 before your benefits run out, so you don’t lose your benefit dollars.
The Importance of Preventive Care
Dentistry is all about prevention, and for this reason, most dental plans cover your six-month cleaning and checkup appointments at 100%. Since there is no out-of-pocket cost for you, it’s important for your family to take advantage of these appointments that are critical to maintaining your oral health.
As an example, if your dentist finds a cavity in your tooth during your examination, you can be proactive about treating it right away. When you’re practical about maintaining your dental health, it is likely that you can take care of it with a simple dental filling. If you ignore your cavity, the decay in your tooth will continue to progress and could eventually make its way into the root of your tooth where it will cause pain and a dental infection.
If your tooth becomes infected, it will now require root canal therapy to eliminate the decay and infection and preserve your tooth. Unfortunately, this procedure is much more complex and costlier than a dental filling that could’ve taken care of the problem in the beginning.
Do You Have Questions?
Dental insurance can be tricky to navigate and understand, so if you have questions about your dental insurance, what it covers, or which appointments you should schedule, we encourage you to give your dentist a call today to learn more about maximizing your benefits.
About the Author
At Boyles General Dentistry & Implant Center, you receive the skills and expertise of three talented dentists with a combined total of nearly 80 years of experience. Patients enjoy comprehensive dental care in a warm and friendly environment, and our knowledgeable staff members can help you utilize your dental insurance benefits.
To contact our team, call (432) 685-7011 or reach us through our website.