Is your son or daughter covered under your dental insurance plan? Maximizing your children’s dental insurance coverage is an excellent way to ensure their smile stays happy and healthy as they grow. While dental insurance may seem confusing at times, understanding the basics can help you make the best decisions for your family. Here are five simple but important tips that will help you make the most of your dental insurance and keep your child’s smile healthy into the new year.
5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Child’s Dental Insurance
1.) Keep an Eye on Your Deductible
Your deductible is the amount you need to pay out of pocket for your child’s dental care before your insurance begins to cover their treatment. Typically, plans with lower deductibles will also have lower annual maximums. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on how much more of your deductible you have left to pay so you can plan your little one’s treatments accordingly.
2.) Don’t Let Your Annual Maximum Go to Waste
Your dental insurance company will cover the cost of your child’s dental appointments up to a certain dollar amount, which is the annual maximum of your plan. To begin taking advantage of your annual maximum, you have to meet your deductible. However, whatever of the annual maximum you don’t use will expire when your insurance plan renews. If your child needs dental work and you’ve paid your deductible, schedule their appointment before the end of the year to keep your annual maximum from going to waste.
3.) Remember the 100-80-50 Rule
Do you know what your dental insurance plan covers? While every policy is different, most follow the 100-80-50 rule. This means they’ll cover 80% of basic treatments like fillings and root canals and 50% of major procedures like dental crowns. However, preventive care like checkups, cleanings, and diagnostics are usually covered at 100%. This usually includes special preventive services for children, like fluoride treatments and dental sealants.
4.) Ask for a Pre-Determination of Benefits
While remembering the 100-80-50 rule will help you predict how much your child’s dental care will cost, you can also ask your dentist for a pre-determination of benefits. Your dental insurance will process the estimate and give you a breakdown of what your policy covers and what you’ll be responsible paying for. This will help you keep an eye on your annual maximum and deductible while preventing any unpleasant surprises when paying for your little one’s treatments.
5.) Take Advantage of Dental Checkups
Almost every dental insurance policy covers two dental checkups and cleanings a year at 90-100%, so it’s a waste not to take full advantage of them! Not only are dental checkups affordable, but they can help prevent more complicated, painful, and expensive issues in the future. Make sure your son or daughter gets a dental checkup and cleanings every six months to make the most out of their dental coverage!
If you have more questions or concerns about your child’s dental care, feel free to reach out to your dentist. They’ll help you maximize your benefits and review your options to help make your family’s dental care as affordable as possible.
About the Author
Dr. Tera Pollock of Rowlett Dental Kids has over 20 years of experience helping young smiles stay happy and healthy as they grow. She and her team aim to make optimal oral health an achievable goal for all children, which is why they’ll be more than happy to file insurance paperwork on your behalf and maximize your benefits. In addition, they also offer financing plans through CareCredit to make every treatment as affordable as possible. To learn more, she can be contacted via her website or at (469) 284-8895