If your dental plan runs on the calendar year, the benefits you haven’t used may not carry over. Here’s what to check, and why booking in November makes it easier.
Most of us only think about dental insurance when a bill arrives. But if your plan runs on the calendar year, as many do, November is a good time to look at your dental benefits, because whatever you haven’t used by December 31 may simply be gone.
Here’s what to check, why it matters, and how to fit a visit in before the holidays take over your calendar.
For many plans, yes. A lot of dental plans run on a yearly cycle that starts in January. They have a yearly maximum, which is the most the plan will pay toward your care in that year, and a deductible that starts over when the new year begins. In many plans, money you didn’t use doesn’t roll over.
Not every plan works this way. Some run on a different plan year, and the details vary from one policy to the next. The quickest way to know is to check your plan documents or your insurer’s member website, or to call us with your insurance details and we’ll check your coverage.
If you still have benefits left, these are the visits most worth thinking about before the year ends.
Many plans include preventive visits such as a cleaning and exam. If you haven’t had one this year, or you’re due for your next one, this is the easiest visit to book. The cleaning removes hardened tartar that brushing can’t shift, and the exam is where Dr. Gifford looks for decay, cracks, worn areas and changes in your gums while they’re still small.
If a cavity was found at your last visit and the filling is still waiting, it’s worth getting it done. Small cavities don’t stay small. Decay keeps working its way toward the nerve, and a tooth that needed a simple filling in the spring can need a larger repair, or a root canal, if it waits long enough.
If you were already advised to have a crown or other treatment, check how much of this year’s benefits are left. Depending on your plan and where you are with your deductible, starting before the reset may cost less out of pocket than starting the same treatment in January. Your plan’s terms decide that, so ask us to check before you schedule.
December fills up fast. Between work deadlines, school events, travel and family plans, the last few weeks of the year are when a dental visit is easiest to push off one more time. And if your exam turns up something that needs a second visit, booking in November leaves room to fit that in before the year closes out as well.
Booking now gives you options. Waiting until the last week of the year usually doesn’t.
Nothing dramatic happens to your teeth on January 1. The cost is quieter than that. If you skip this year’s visits, the benefits you paid for go unused, and anything that was small this year has a few more months to grow. A cavity, early gum inflammation or a worn filling rarely gets simpler or cheaper to fix with time.
That’s the real reason to book: keeping small problems small, using benefits you’re already paying for.
We accept most PPO insurance plans, and if you have insurance we’ll verify your benefits first. If you don’t, we offer an in-office discount plan along with CareCredit and Cherry payment options. The details are on our financial information page.
And if it’s been a while since your last visit, that’s fine. We start from wherever you are.
Call Flossed Family Dentistry at (480) 581-7681 or request an appointment online. Have your insurance details handy and we’ll check your coverage. Our office is on Hunt Highway in San Tan Valley, and we see patients from Queen Creek and the surrounding communities. The earlier in November you call, the more choice of times you’re likely to have.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. Every mouth is different, so please talk to your dentist about your own situation.
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