You may find yourself energized and motivated at the prospect of a new year. Or, after the hustle and bustle of the end of the year, you may be feeling a post-holiday lag. Either way, Country Club Dental Flagstaff is here to help make prioritizing your family’s dental health this year a little easier. Instead of waiting until the end of the year to take advantage of your benefits, we’d like to offer a few tips on how to maximize dental benefits throughout the year.
1. Understand your dental plan’s details.
The most important numbers in your dental plan are the deductible and the annual maximum benefit. Like other types of insurance, a deductible is a minimum that must be paid out-of-pocket before your insurance will cover the full amount. The good news is that dental deductibles are generally low—around $50. Once the deductible is paid, most general plans have an annual maximum benefit of $1,000 to $1,500. After you hit this amount, the insurance will stop covering any costs. If you are unsure whether a procedure will be covered by your insurance, give us a call and we’ll confirm it with your provider.
2. Take advantage of preventative dental services.
Most insurance plans are broken down into 3 categories of service: Preventative Care, Basic Procedures and Major Procedures. Preventative care visits include exams, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and sealants for kids up to a certain age. These services are generally 100 percent covered, meaning there’s no out-of-pocket expense for you. Many plans do not apply a deductible to these visits, but be sure to know your plan beforehand so there won’t be any surprises.
Since preventative services are fully covered, we highly encourage scheduling the recommended two cleanings a year for each family member at the minimum. Not only will visiting your dentist bi-annually improve your oral health, it will also allow you to keep an eye on any areas of concern that may need treatment in the future.
3. Plan other procedures in a timely manner when appropriate.
Procedures such as fillings, extractions and periodontal work are known as basic services. These types of procedures are 70 to 80 percent covered by most dental insurance plans. And finally, major procedures like crowns, root canals, dentures, bridges, or implants, are typically covered at 50 percent (or less).
If you find out you need a set of expensive major treatments that will surpass your annual maximum, staggering the treatments can be a good idea, if approved by your dentist. If the delay in treatment would not cause a decline in dental health, you may be able to receive one treatment this year, and put off successive treatments until your benefits renew the following year.
4. Learn about other financing options.
At Country Club Dental, we make every effort to provide you with the finest care and the most convenient financial options. To accomplish this, we work hand-in-hand with you to maximize your insurance reimbursement for covered procedures. But sometimes emergencies or essential, major procedures are necessary. If you’ve hit your annual maximum, we offer financing through CareCredit. For more information on how to make your trips to the dentist’s office affordable, visit our website or give us a call: (928)526-4314.
Country Club Dental Flagstaff
Dr. Whitney has been a dentist in Flagstaff for over 30 years. He has a passion for helping his patients as well as his community. If you haven’t already scheduled your first cleaning of the year, make an appointment today and we’ll individually help you map out how to maximize your dental benefits!
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use. Image by ar130405 from Pixabay (1/20/2020)
