When you make monthly payments for a dental insurance plan, you’re doing yourself a favor by making your dental care more affordable. But are you really getting the most out of your benefits? Since dental insurance can be difficult to understand, you might not be saving as much money as you could be. If you know how to maximize your dental insurance benefits, your smile and your wallet will thank you in the long run. Read on to learn three tips for making the most of your dental insurance.
1. See Your Dentist Twice a Year for Checkups
If you aren’t attending two routine dental checkups and cleanings a year, then you aren’t even coming close to maximizing your insurance benefits. Most dental policies cover these visits, so you very likely won’t need to pay a cent out-of-pocket for them. Better yet, regular checkups go a long way toward preventing expensive oral health problems. For example, your dentist might detect a small cavity that you otherwise wouldn’t have noticed. By treating it with a small filling now, you could avoid needing a crown, root canal, or other costly procedure down the road.
2. Use Your Benefits Before They Expire
Your dental insurance plan will put a certain amount of money toward your dental care each year (after you’ve paid your deductible). This amount is known as your annual maximum. In most cases, this money expires if you haven’t spent it on treatment by the end of the calendar year. Unfortunately, more than 95% of Americans with dental insurance don’t come close to using their annual maximums, so they end up wasting coverage they’ve already paid for!
To avoid throwing your dental dollars down the drain, make sure to take care of any necessary procedures before December 31st. Not only will this prevent your benefits from going to waste, but you’ll also enjoy a healthier smile in the long run.
3. Visit an In-Network Dentist
If your dental insurance plan is a PPO (preferred provider organization), then you can choose whichever dentist you’d like to see. This holds true even if they aren’t in-network with your particular plan. Unlike medical insurance, dental insurance can still help you save even if you visit an out-of-network provider. However, when you select an in-network dentist, your benefits will be maximized and your out-of-pocket expenses will be minimized.
Dental insurance can be quite difficult to navigate, to say the least. By taking these three easy steps, you’ll have a much easier time maintaining a healthy smile while keeping your dental costs within your budget.
About the Practice
Beck Dental Care of Columbia has been serving local families’ smiles for over four decades and counting. Each of our dentists takes a conservative, customized approach to our patients’ oral health, and with their wide range of skillsets, we can meet the needs of patients of all ages in one conveniently located dental office in Columbia, TN. Additionally, we’re proud to be in-network with many dental insurance providers, including Delta Dental and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. If you have questions about maximizing your dental insurance, you can get in touch with our helpful team by calling (931) 236-2141.