Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Dental Insurance Benefits

If you have dental insurance, you’ve wisely chosen to invest in protecting your smile. And while it might seem like it’s expensive to take care of your pearly whites, your benefits can actually save you quite a bit of money if you know how to effectively use them! Here are some tips from your dentist in Murphy to help you make the most of your dental insurance benefits.

1. Schedule Regular Preventive Care

To put it simply, one of the best ways that you can protect your smile is by visiting your dentist for regular preventive care. And fortunately, the cost of routine preventive care is typically built into your plan! During these visits, your dentist will thoroughly inspect your mouth and clean your teeth and gums of stubbornly built-up plaque and tartar that you can’t remove at home on your own. This greatly reduces the chances of serious and expensive problems from developing in the future, protecting your smile and your wallet.

2. Know the Specifics of Your Plan

Dental insurance plans usually operate on a calendar-year basis, meaning that when your plan activates at the beginning of the year, you’re given an annual maximum that represents the most your plan will pay for approved services. This amount carries through the end of the year, and any unused benefits won’t roll over to the next yea! It’s also important to know what specific treatments are covered by your plan; preventive and restorative care is usually at least partially to mostly covered, as issues like decayed teeth and gum disease are accompanied by certain health risks.

3. Plan Major Dental Work Accordingly

Some dental work is inherently a little costly and can also sometimes take multiple visits to complete. However, you can schedule major dental work accordingly so that all of your required visits are covered. If there’s a certain treatment that you need but it exceeds your annual maximum, you can schedule part of it for the following calendar year. This allows you to strategically take advantage of two separate annual maximums instead of just one!

4. Use Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

If your employer offers an FSA, you might be able to use it with your dental insurance. There are several advantages to doing this, such as being able to reduce your taxable income and put that money aside for healthcare expenses. By using tax-free dollars to pay for these expenses, you have more take home pay, larger tax savings, and much more control over your budget which allows you to plan for the cost of dental work.

Remember, your smile is an investment—so ensuring that it looks and feels great is well worth the cost. Following these tips will help you make the most out of your dental insurance and in turn, set your smile up for a healthy and beautiful future.

About the Practice

Murphy Family Dentistry has proudly served patients and families in the Murphy, TX community for several years under the leadership of Dr. Jacqueline T. Nguyen and Dr. Masoud E. Najari. Their practice is pleased to offer a wide range of services including preventive, restorative, and cosmetic options. If you have any questions about how you can make the most of your dental insurance benefits, don’t hesitate to visit the practice’s website or give them a call for assistance: (972) 516-2928.