5 Ways to Maximize Your Dental Insurance Benefits

Dental insurance is an excellent investment to have. After all, when you are looking after your oral health, you are contributing to the wellbeing of your entire body. However, it can be difficult to completely understand how dental insurance works because it’s different from the medical insurance that you are used to, but we’re here to help! Here are a few tips to help you maximize your dental insurance benefits.

Utilize Preventive Care

If you aren’t going to the dentist every six months for cleanings and checkups, you aren’t even close to fully maximizing your coverage. By attending these appointments, you can prevent oral health issues. Your hygienist will thoroughly remove plaque and tartar from your smile, and your dentist will take a look to ensure that you don’t have any existing oral health issues that need to be addressed. This way, you can avoid more costly procedures. For instance, if your dentist treats a cavity with a filling now, you may be able to avoid a root canal or extraction later on.

Prevent General Health Problems

Your oral health is closely related to your overall health. People who have periodontal disease are more likely to suffer from other serious conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, respiratory issues, and pregnancy complications for pregnant women. By seeing your dentist for cleanings and checkups, you can prevent gum infections and ultimately prevent overall health issues that will require lots of time and money in the future.

Pick an In-Network Dentist

If you have a PPO plan, this gives you the ability to choose any dentist you want for dental care, even if they aren’t in-network. However, with out-of-network dentists, your insurance isn’t as likely to cover as much of your treatment cost, so you could end up with higher out-of-pocket costs.

Use Your Flexible Spending Dollars

If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) through your employer, you should use these dollars before the year comes to an end. Most of the time, dental expenses are eligible FSA healthcare expenses. FSAs reduce your taxable income by putting aside money for healthcare. When you use tax-free dollars to pay for your dental treatment, you can ultimately save on costs.

Review Your Benefits

The end of the year is coming up, so now is a great time to look over your dental benefits. When you know exactly what’s covered under your plan and when it will reset, you’ll be able to maximize your coverage easier. For most people, their benefits reset at the end of the calendar year. This means that you’ll be left responsible for paying your deductible again. Any remaining benefits will not carry over to the following year.

If it’s been a while since you’ve been to the dentist or a checkup or you’re in need of treatment, there’s no better time to go than now. This way, you can work towards excellent oral health while saving your wallet at the same time!

About the Author

Dr. Sweeta Walia is an experienced dentist who has been working in the field for over 15 years. She earned her dental doctorate from the Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine. She is certified in both orthodontics and Lumineers, a VIP Provider of ClearCorrect, and a Platinum Provider of Invisalign. Her practice provides in-network savings and gladly accepts out-of-network providers. For more information on dental insurance or to schedule an appointment at her office in Mesquite, visit her website or call (972) 288-3200.