Life is expensive. Even if you’re only paying about $20 every month for dental insurance, that cost adds up quickly. You might be starting to wonder whether your dental insurance is worth the pricetag. Cutting it out of your budget could save you some coffee money, which is a tempting idea.
Don’t do anything yet! If it seems like your dental insurance premium isn’t giving you anything in return, it could be because you’re not taking full advantage of your benefits. Keep reading to learn how to make your dental insurance work for you.
Breaking Down Dental Insurance
It’s true that insurance in general is one of the more confusing and dry topics you could be reading about. Naturally, this makes it difficult to understand how it works. The cherry on top is that dental insurance specifically is…quirky.
Normally, you invest in insurance to protect your savings against expensive emergencies. Since so many dental problems can be avoided with preventative care, dental insurance instead emphasizes checkups and cleanings.
Most plans will cover up to two routine visits per year, at a rate of 90% – 100% of the cost. After that, coverage rates actually decrease with increasing treatment severity. Major dental repairs are typically covered around 20% – 30%, while minor restoration coverage averages around 50%.
What The Dental Insurance Breakdown Means for You
If all of that sounded tricky, we don’t blame you! Basically, it means you get the most value out of your dental insurance benefits when you visit your dentist for those routine biannual checkups. This is the best way to prevent more complicated dental issues, which saves you money in the long run. Plus, in the event you do need to repair a crown or get a scaling and root planing, your dental insurance will still blunt a good chunk of the cost.
How Flexible Financing Can Help Manage Your Savings
There is another helpful financial option you can throw on top of your dental insurance. Flexible financing programs like CareCredit shrink your bill and spread out your payments over several months. In other words, if you can’t afford a dental treatment all at once, you can instead make smaller monthly payments. That definitely makes it easier to manage a month-to-month budget!
When in Doubt, Ask Your Oral Team
Just as every patient’s oral needs are unique, every insurance plan is different. Even when you understand how dental insurance works in general, the specifics of your plan can present new confusions.
Fortunately, your oral team handles insurance every day! They’ll review your benefits to make sure you’re getting the most mileage out of them possible. If you have any questions, they’ll be happy to take a closer look and boil down the information for you!
About the Practice
Our team at Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery is highly qualified. Of course, we’re also highly compassionate, and want you to be able to receive the oral care you need. That’s why we’re insurance friendly and are proud to offer CareCredit financing. If you need help affording treatment or are confused about your dental insurance benefits, give us a call at 703-666-3653. We’ll be happy to help!