02 Dec Use it or Lose it! Maximizing Your Dental Coverage in Kelowna
Do you know that maximizing your dental benefits before the New Year can actually save you money? Before you choose to forgo the dentist, putting that cracked tooth on hold and waiting until “it really actually bothers you,” please keep in mind that:
- Either you or your employer has paid your dental insurance premiums all year, yep cash money paid into something you aren’t going to fully utilize …say what??
- You EARNED your dental benefits, so don’t let them slip away – they don’t roll over.
- That cracked tooth isn’t going to get better over time and those big old amalgam fillings aren’t going to stop leaching or turn into a beautifully polished white filling by just clicking your heels 3 times.
True Dental’s top reasons why you should use your dental coverage
1. Annual and Frequency Maximums:
Not only do the majority of Insurance Providers have an annual dollar maximum they have frequency maximums as well, limiting the amount of money you have available to use towards your oral health and the frequency of treatment you can receive.
Let’s break this down a little further… An annual maximum is the dollar amount that either you or your employer has selected to have available towards your oral health. The average annual maximum is typically $1500 per person per calendar year. Frequency Limitation is where a dental procedure is limited to a specific time frame, ie. one cleaning every 6 months. If you take into consideration that the average dental hygiene appointment, oral examination, including cavity check x-rays averages around the $250.00 mark, then you’d know that there goes $500 per year just towards maintaining those pearly whites and that glorious pink tissue.
Now we have $1000 left towards visits to the dentist. If you are in pristine condition, great; if you have any issues or concerns, not so much! Let’s put that $1000 into perspective:
- One filling on a molar can range from $151 – $396 depending on how many surfaces are involved.
- A Composite Core and Crown for a tooth that is broken down and non-restorable by a filling on average is around $1150.
- Crack a tooth over the holidays eating Christmas brittle and now you need a tooth pulled? Depending on how difficult and involved the extraction can be, the price can vary from $117-$362.
- An infected tooth in need of a root canal?? There goes $440-$1100 depending on how many canals (nerve chambers) the tooth has and how difficult your anatomy is.
2. Annual Fee Guide Increase:
Every February, The College of Dental Surgeons of BC restructures and sends out a new fee schedule for all general dentists to follow. Although the fee increase is minimal, it is still in your best interest to have treatment completed… a dollar in your pocket is better than a dollar in theirs.
The Fee Guide for General Dentists in BC is structured by the College of Dental Surgeons. It is simply a guide that dental offices can elect to follow or not; some local offices do in fact charge above the recommended fees for service due to cost of living, increase in materials and overhead, but at True Dental in West Kelowna that guide is our Bible – we do not charge you above and beyond!
3. It’s Gonna Hurt … eventually or contribute to something worse.
Delaying dental treatment, we totally understand why, now let me help you understand why not to…
The obvious reason why dental treatment shouldn’t be delayed is because things get worse and when things get worse it can hurt, like really hurt. Unlike other health issues, tooth decay and gum disease will not heal with “rest,” like a sore muscle or sprained foot. Decay and gum disease must be treated to stop further deterioration. Aside from the pain and discomfort you will likely experience by putting off treatment; it’s not just your teeth that will suffer it’s your overall health.
The mouth is the gateway to the body; did you know that gum disease is directly linked to heart disease and the plaque that occurs in your mouth spreads? …bacteria love to travel people! Not to mention a handful of other diseases that are associated with poor oral hygiene and decay such as: Diabetes, Dementia, Respiratory problems, and even certain types of Cancer. A happy and healthy mouth is incredibly important!