The end of the year is quickly approaching, and that means you will be getting busier and busier in the next few weeks. It will be the good type of busy, but busy nonetheless. You’ll be going at such a pace that one minor hiccup could throw off the whole season. One of the worst, but most preventable, is a dental issue. Nothing ruins the holidays like an unforeseen problem with your teeth. It can stop you from eating the foods you love or make you self-conscious about seeing friends and family.

This is why it’s the perfect time of year to make an appointment with your dentist in El Reno, OK, Dr. Adam Cohlmia. However, the holidays can be financially stressful for many people. Will you be able to afford dental care? How can your dental insurance help? Dr. Colhmia has the answers to these common questions, and wants you to know why this is actually the best time of the year to use your dental insurance benefits.

1. How does dental insurance work?

Of course, this is a very broad question. Basically, dental insurance is geared towards covering preventive care that can stop many dental issues before they start. This is different from medical or car insurance that is typically meant to help cover you after a problem has occurred. Many dental insurance providers work within a certain network of dentists, but many also will cover care from out-of-network doctors. It is entirely dependent on your plan.

A common quality between plans, however, is that many of them reset at the end of the year.

2. Wait, my dental benefits reset?

Yes, on December 31^st, 2016, Americans will lose hundreds of billions of dollar in dental benefits. This is because even if you have met your deductible, your benefits do not rollover to the next year. This means any money you have left to use will simply go back to your insurance provider. Many people lose thousands of dollars in care a year because they are not aware of how much coverage they have, and the dental insurance companies have an incentive to not inform them. Most people only use about 10% of their available benefits. This results in a loss in dollars as well as care that could save you time and discomfort in the future. Many people end up paying more money for care they could have gotten for free or deeply discounted because they waited. This is why Dr. Colhmia is informing more and more patients of how their dental insurance works, so that they can get the most out of their benefits they have already paid for.

3. What does my dental insurance cover?

Like we mentioned in #1, dental insurance in El Reno, OK is primarily for preventive care. This means dental cleanings and standard check-ups. These are two of the best ways to keep your teeth healthy and keep your visits to your dentist quick and easy. Many plans will cover preventive care 100% or at a significant discount. They will also cover a portion (50-70%) of restorative procedures, and even part of cosmetic procedures if they are also medically relevant. Most plans provide enough money for 2 check-ups and dental cleanings per year, which Dr. Colhmia knows are extremely important to take care of your teeth.

4. Will you take my insurance?

Yes! We will take any insurance plan and even file your claim for you to make the process easier. We don’t know the details of everyone’s individual plan, so be sure to look and see how much coverage you have and which procedures are included. However, we will always work with you and your provider to make sure that you get the most out of your benefits.

Any Questions?

A quick check-up at this time of the year with Dr. Colhmia can give you one less thing to think about during the stressful holiday season, and will probably be completely covered by your insurance. That will all change on January 1^st, 2017. Dr. Colhmia wants to do everything he can to make sure that you have a happy and healthy holiday season, so make an appointment with him today.