The leaves are changing colors which means it’s that time of year again.  That’s right, it’s the ‘Use It Or Lose It’ season.  We’re talking about your dental insurance.  Most dental insurance plans run on a calendar year starting January 1st and ending on December 31st.  If you don’t use your dental benefits by the end of the year then you lose them, and your coverage resets on the first day of 2018.

What You Should Do to Take Full Advantage of Your Dental Insurance

Your dental coverage is already paid for!  It would be a shame to let this year’s benefits lapse without using them.  Here’s what you should do to make sure you get the most out of your dental plan before the end of the year:

First, call your insurance company and ask what benefits you have used already, and what you still have available to use by the end of the year.  You might also want to ask if any treatments will be cut from your coverage next year, such as veneers or teeth whitening.  If something won’t be covered next year then it would be a good idea to take care of it now.

Then, call Seven Lakes Dental right away and schedule an appointment to use those benefits that you have left.  Make sure you consider the needs of all family members that are eligible to use them.  Don’t wait to make this call because we want to make sure we can schedule an appointment by that end of the year deadline.

Some Reasons Why You Should Act Now

Most insurance companies have a yearly limit (per person, per year) for dental treatments.  If you don’t use up this limit then you will lose it. It would be best to max out that limit and get a little more dental work done this year.  Note:  Some restorative treatments like Implants and Dentures are more costly and require several phases to complete.  We can help you schedule this so some portions fit in this year’s insurance budget while the rest falls into next year’s.

Your dental insurance company probably has a deductible, or an amount that you have to spend before they start paying for your treatments.  The deductible also starts over at the beginning of the year, so you want to get as much out of your plan as you can before you have to start paying on the deductible again.

You are paying premiums to save money on your dental care. Get the most out of you dental plan by using the services you are paying premiums for.

Sometimes insurance companies change what treatments your coverage will include.  Make sure you take advantage of any that won’t be available to you next year by using them this year.

There are many necessary costs to running a dental office. These costs can go up, causing the rates that dentists charge to go up also.  If this happens, it will probably be implemented at the beginning of a new year.  Make sure you get any dental work done before the end of the year, just in case there are any rate increases next year.

Procrastination is a terrible thing when it comes to your teeth. A simple cavity now can turn into a root canal later.  Avoid more expensive treatments by using your dental insurance for regular cleanings and check-ups.

Use Your Benefits to Your Benefit

Make sure you use your benefits to your benefit.  The end of the year is coming and it will be here sooner than you expect.  Call now to make your appointment with Seven Lakes Dental, your local Arlington, Smokey Point, Marysville area dentist. Not sure what benefits you should be using? Ask us and we will help you figure it out.