Under a typical dental plan, you or your employer will pay monthly premiums in order to maintain coverage. In order to make this monthly investment worth it, it’s obviously in your best interest to maximize dental insurance benefits while they’re still available; that way, you’ll save money on your care instead of letting dental dollars go to waste. The following 3 tips will help you get the most out of your insurance plan before the available benefits are lost and reset at the end of the year.
1. Preventive Care is a Must
Under the structure that most dental plans follow, preventive dental care such as exams, cleanings, and X-rays are fully or mostly covered. That means that attending two checkups every year is one of the best ways you can make use of your available benefits. Even if your smile is in overall good shape, regular preventive care will allow us to spot and treat oral health issues early on so that you can avoid more costly and potentially severe dental issues in the future. In other words, using your dental insurance now could also help you avoid larger out-of-pocket costs in the future.
2. Find a Practice That’s In-Network with Your PPO
You don’t necessarily have to visit a dentist that’s within your insurance’s network, but doing so will save you more money. An in-network dentist is one that has agreed to treat the fees that the insurance company has set for specific services as a full payment. An out-of-network dentist would charge you the difference between their regular price and what the insurance company would pay for. Thus, if you want to save as much money as possible, you’ll want to look for an in-network practitioner whenever you’re searching for “a dentist near me.”
3. Begin Complex Procedures as Soon as Possible
If you’re approaching the end of the year that your dental insurance plan revolves around (be it the calendar year or the fiscal year), then now is the best time to begin any lengthy or complex procedures that will most likely take more than one visit. If you use your benefits to pay for the first part of the treatment now, you’ll have next year’s benefits to help cover the next part later. In other words, you can maximize your current benefits and give yourself a head start on taking advantage of next year’s benefits as well.
These are just a few ideas for getting the most out of your dental insurance investment. Your dentist in Plano may have additional suggestions based on your individual plan as well as your current oral health issues. Call your practice today to make sure you’ve done everything you can to use your benefits before the year’s over.
About the Practice
At Legacy Trails Dental of Plano, we currently have 3 highly experienced and caring dentists who can help you with all of your dental needs. Our practice is proud to be in-network with all dental insurance PPOs, which means our patients can enjoy the highest amount of savings at our practice no matter what plan they belong. If you have insurance questions, our team is happy to answer them; reach out to us today by visiting our website or calling (217) 227-1000.