At Gentle Dental, our entire team is dedicated to making our patients smile inside when they see their great smiles in the mirror every morning. But there is one thing that comes up this time of year that we know will make every patient frown — leaving dental insurance dollars unspent and then losing them at the end of the year.
That could be even more true this year, as many people have missed regular cleanings and checkups thanks to COVID fears. But now that we’re mostly past that, it’s time to get back on track with your oral health. That makes all the more reason to use up all your dental insurance dollars before they expire.
If that sounds like your insurance situation, give us a call and let’s get you in here before the end of the year. These are a few things you may not think about with your dental insurance.
Yearly maximum
Dental insurance is far more limited in scope than regular health insurance. Most plans have a yearly maximum that the company will pay for your dental work within one full year. The average amount is usually $1,000 per year, per person. After you reach that amount, you must pay for everything. If you have unused benefits, these won’t rollover into next year, so you should take advantage of them before 2021 comes to a close.
Deductible
One nice thing about dental insurance, despite it not being overly comprehensive in scope, is that the deductibles are usually just $50. That’s another thing to consider. If you’ve already met your deductible, having something else done won’t require it. You’ll save the $50.
You’re paying for it
If you’re paying for dental insurance, you should use it. Dental insurance is a little different than health insurance, as it’s basically intended to be used for things you usually need to do to your teeth. Health insurance is really more, well, insurance in case of large expenses such as surgeries. Because dental insurance maxes out at such a low amount, it is foolish not to use it, at least for your two cleanings and exams.
Things you could use it on
OK, so you’ve had your twice-yearly cleanings and exams with us, but you still have some dollars left. Have you considered placing bonding on a chipped tooth? How about replacing an amalgam silver filling with a tooth-colored invisible filling? For some dental insurance, you could even have your teeth whitened.
Do you have dental insurance dollars to spend? Call us at Gentle Dental now, (732) 549-5660, and make an appointment before the year’s end.
