At our practice, our goal is to assist you with your battle against tooth decay and gum disease, which can not only impact your dental health but your overall health as well. Therefore, we urge you to brush and floss daily, and schedule every six months for a cleaning and checkup with our dentist. By minimizing plaque at home, and our efforts to remove tartar (hardened plaque) from your smile regularly, your tooth enamel and gums will be protected. And your dental insurance provider is part of this team. They assist you by paying for the preventative treatments you need to keep your mouth healthy. We encourage you to use your dental insurance and potentially save hundreds of dollars. And for those who don’t have insurance, we accept the CareCredit.
Deductibles
When you use your insurance benefits you will eventually meet your annual deductible. This helps ensure that you are getting the care your teeth and gums need to stay healthy. The deductible represents the amount of money you will be paying out of your own pocket before the dental insurance benefits apply. Using your dental insurance throughout the year means you’ll want to pay your deductible, which makes the rest of the year an ideal time to get the necessary treatment done so it’ll be covered by your insurance without you paying more.
Maximums
Your dental insurance typically has a maximum coverage amount. The yearly maximum is the highest amount that your dental plan will pay for your dental work in a year. Just as your deductible, the maximum also resets each calendar year. If you don’t use it, you will lose it! Getting dental work done, like crowns or fillings before the year ends is smart because your annual maximum will start again in next year.
Premiums
If you are paying for your insurance as you go with monthly payments, you definitely want to get your money’s worth, and that means using your insurance. So even if you don’t need restorations, you still want to have your six-month cleanings and exams. This is also a good way to detect problems early when they are most easily and least invasively (not to mention, most economically) treated. Keep in mind, any unused premiums won’t be reimbursed by your insurance when the year ends.
CareCredit
For those who don’t have dental insurance, CareCredit is a healthcare credit card accepted by a national network of over 200,000 health-focused providers and retailers. It can cover many things in both preventative, restorative and cosmetic dentistry. This way you can attend regular dental checkups to help improve your dental care and overall health, catching dental issues beforehand. With CareCredit, you are essentially paying out-of-pocket for expenses not covered by medical insurance. Special financing options are more available, unlike other credit cards.
Prevention
Here’s where your financial savvy comes in. If you neglect routine dental care, any problems with your teeth and gums (like early gum disease, small cavities) will only get bigger over time.
To avoid root canals and pricier restorations, the best way you can avoid problems is by acquiring a toothbrush that works for you, a dental floss you will use regularly, and come in for routine checkups and cleanings with our dentist, while maximizing your dental insurance benefits or following a dental care plan! So be proactive and treat your oral health and overall health with the care you deserve!