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Use it Or Lose It - Dental Insurance Benefits

You’re probably wondering what does, “use it before you lose it” mean. Did you know that at the end of the year any dental benefits you have not used are wiped away and your insurance benefits for the new year kick in? Which means you may be throwing away hundreds of dollars every year! By using all or as much of your dental benefits before the new year, you can be saving your family money. You never know if your child will need the whole of your benefits with unforeseen procedures, like a fractured tooth in the playground in the following year. There are some dental insurances that run on a fiscal year, but the majority of dental insurances run on a calendar year. Which means that on January 1st any dental benefits you had on December 31st gets reset, very few plans roll over those benefits. If you have a calendar year plan, you should call our office and we can work with you and your dental insurance in order to maximize your benefits. We know you have a ton of activities to coordinate every day. We’re here to help you be able to squeeze in that dental appointment smoothly!

Just give us a call & one of our patient care coordinators can see how to use your benefits before they expire.
See below for a list of ways to “use it before you lose it”.

  • Every dental insurance allows 2 cleanings anytime in the year (there may even be some that allow more). So if you haven’t yet taken advantage of your children’s 2 cleanings, they will be lost come January 1st.
  • There are preventative services that your child may be eligible for including sealants that we can help with.
  • Taking care of dental treatment definitely helps to use your benefits. We’ve all heard that quote from Benjamin Franklin: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And postponing that dental treatment can run the risk of more extensive & costly treatment in the future. Taking care of any dental issues now, can help prevent problems from getting worse, which will save you more money in the long run. What may be a simple cavity that only needs a filling, can turn into a crown or even the premature loss of the tooth.
  • Sometimes that stubborn baby tooth that won’t get loose and causes the permanent tooth to come in crooked can easily be removed to help with making the orthodontics easier and more cost effective for your child in the future.
  • Your yearly deductible also resets in January. Chances are, you have already met that deductible this year, and if you still have benefits remaining it would be a good idea to use those benefits, without having to pay that deductible again the following year.

We understand that navigating the tricky waters of dental insurance can be difficult and at times confusing. We are here for you! Our awesome dental insurance specialists here at Scripps Pediatric Dentistry will help you, get all you and your family deserve from your dental insurance to make it worth your while.

Get an appointment today or call us to schedule to use those dental insurance benefits. Don’t wait until December to reserve your appointment, and as we gear up for the holiday sugar rush remember what a wise dentist said a long time ago: “You don’t need to brush all your teeth – Just the ones you want to keep” 🙂