Have you and your loved ones had at least two (2) professional dental cleanings this past year and completed any recommended dental treatment? This is your reminder to take advantage of any unused dental benefits.
It’s the beginning of October and our schedule at Marion Smile Center is filling fast for year end! Most people’s insurance benefits expire on December 31st and do not roll over to the next year. This means that if you or your family have not gotten your professional cleanings or need dental treatment done and have not yet reached your maximum allowance, you will lose those benefits and essentially throw money away. The key is to use up as many benefits as you can, getting at least two (2) professional cleanings per year and completing any treatment that needs to be done to keep your mouth healthy and smile beautiful before the end of the year. This way, when it’s January 1st, all of your benefits will be renewed and you can reserve time to get any remaining treatment done, or know that you have a benefit allowance as a safety net in case a dental emergency were to arise.
Why Do Dental Benefits Expire?
Most dental insurance plans are on a 365-day schedule, allowing a specific number of professional cleanings, exams, and x-rays. They also give a maximum allowance for dental treatment, such as getting cavities removed from your mouth and tooth-colored fillings placed, crowns, or root canals. The caveat to this is most dental insurance providers follow a”Use It or Lose It” policy– anything you haven’t used by year’s end will be lost. These restrictions are made by insurance companies to save the insurance companies money as millions of patients do not use their maximum dental benefits each year. We want you to use your well-deserved dental benefits and achieve a healthy and beautiful smile while doing so.
Save Money by using Preventative Care Benefits
Getting professional cleanings, dental x-rays, and exams every six (6) months is not only important for optimal oral health, but can also help you save money in the long run. Most insurance plans cover preventative care at little or no additional cost. By visiting the dentist at least twice a year, dental issues can be caught early on, while they are still small and not yet causing pain, toothaches, or other issues. We want you to be treated when it’s convenient for you and your family and avoid untimely emergency dental visits.
Dental Issues can Escalate Quickly
When Dr. Marion is doing a dental exam, it is his duty, no matter how big or how small it is, to inform his patients about his findings and give them his clinical expertise on how to fix the issue. We have had a few patients respond, “Well, it’s not hurting me yet. I’ll wait until it becomes an issue.” A year later, many of them call for an emergency visit, wanting to be seen as soon as possible because the pain is radiating down the side of their face and nothing will take the discomfort away.
What could’ve been fixed with a simple cost-effective filling, has turned into a toothache and is infected. The patient now needs to take a round of antibiotics, along with getting a root canal and a crown, which costs a lot more money and is more invasive than the simple filling would have been a year earlier. Also, keep in mind that the bacteria in cavities can spread to other adjacent teeth causing surrounding teeth to decay, as well. The moral of the story – make preventative dental care a priority and schedule any needed dental treatment early on. Help us help you achieve optimal dental health.
Don’t Forget to Use FSA or HSA
Many people have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) that allows them to put money into an account to pay for out-of-pocket health and dental care expenses with tax-free dollars. If these funds are not used by the end of the benefit period, you may have to forfeit them and lose your money. To be safe, schedule any treatment before year’s end to take advantage of these pre-taxed accounts before they expire.
Be Proactive and Reserve Time Ahead
We’ve seen it happen many times before, someone hasn’t had a professional cleaning and exam for quite some time, and then they finally reserve time to be seen in December. At that dental visit, they find out they need dental treatment such as a crown. They reserve time with Dr. Marion to get their tooth prepped for the crown and have the temporary placed. It takes 2-3 weeks for us to fabricate the crown, which then pushes the crown to be inserted in January of the following year. Now, the crown is using up the bulk, if not all of your insurance benefit allowance for a brand new year, and you lost out on using the money for the previous year. What a shame to waste the current year’s dental benefits!
Please try to plan ahead and reserve time to be seen as early as possible to avoid something like that happening to you. We care about our patients and strive to provide the best possible care you need without you overpaying for it.
Don’t Wait, Text Us Today!
These next few months are typically very busy for most people. With multiple holidays approaching, school, work, and sports among other things, it’s easy to forget to schedule that much-needed dental appointment. At Marion Smile Center, our team has made connecting with us to schedule your next visit with us easy for everyone. Call or text 724.452.4300 us anytime and we will get back to you during normal office hours. You can also click here and fill out the appointment request form and we will be in touch.
If you are in need of comfortable dental work with a friendly team in the Zelienople, Harmony, Cranberry Township, or Butler area, we are a dentist that is accepting new patients! We would love to meet you. To learn more about Dentistry Services that we offer, click here.
