Use It or Lose It: Your Annual Dental Benefits

Why You Should Use Your Dental Insurance Before the End of the Year

Many of us have dental insurance, whether it is through our employer or through a local plan, like the New Hampshire discount family dental plan like the Wellness Dental Plan. Regardless of where this coverage comes from, it is vitally important to make sure that it gets used before the end of the calendar year. While it may seem impossible to schedule a dental check-up between all the events the end of the year brings – holiday parties, Christmas shopping, and other events – it is worthwhile to make the time to see the dentist before the year is out, and here is why.

Using Your Yearly Maximum

An insurance plan’s yearly maximum is the maximum amount of money the insurance company will pay for a policy holder’s dental work within the calendar year. Generally, dental plans will have a yearly maximum between $1,000 and $1,500 per person covered under the policy. This maximum amount of money will renew every year and any benefits that go unused from the previous year will not roll over. It is important to take advantage of the yearly maximum so unused benefits are not being wasted.

Paying Premiums

Dental premiums are usually taken out of an employee’s paycheck every month or paid to independent insurance companies every month in order to keep the policy active. Those who are paying their premiums every month should be using the benefits they are paying for. Even those who do not require special dental treatments should be using their benefits for regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings – why pay dental insurance premiums every month and not take advantage of the benefits?

Meeting Your Deductible

Many dental insurance plans will have a deductible, or amount of money that the policy holder must pay before the insurance policy will begin covering the rest of the expenses. Generally, deductibles for dental insurance plans fall right around $50. For those who have already met their deductible for the year, it will only help them to use the rest of their benefits and yearly maximum to make the most of the dental insurance they are paying for, especially because that deductible will reset in the next year.

Avoiding Serious Dental Problems

For those who are experiencing any kind of dental issues, such as painful gums, a sore jaw, or discomfort, it will only benefit them to visit the dentist to have these issues evaluated. Ignoring symptoms will only give the condition time to get worse, which may cause bigger and more expensive problems down the road. What may be something as simple as a small cavity today could escalate into an issue that requires a root canal later on. Take advantage of the benefits and have the issue looked at.

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