| Got Benefits? |
Did you know that each year insurance companies make millions of dollars off patients who forego necessary and preventive dental care? Many who are paying for dental insurance don't realize that their benefit plan provides assistance up to a certain dollar amount annually. As a result, some people do not schedule the dental treatment they need even though they have insurance dollars to help!
Consider these 4 points to save big money before the end of this year by using your dental benefits:
1. Yearly Maximum
This is the most money that the dental insurance plan will pay for your dental work within one full year. This amount varies by plan but averages around $1,000 per year, per person. The yearly max typically renews every year (on January 1 if your plan is on a calendar year). If you have unused benefits, these will not roll-over.
2. Deductible
Your deductible is the amount of money that you must pay out-of-pocket before your insurance company will pay for any services. This fee varies by plan but averages around $50 per year. Your deductible starts again when your plan rolls-over.
3. Premiums
If you are paying your dental insurance premiums every month, you should be using your benefits. Even if you don't need any dental treatment, get regular checkups to help prevent and detect any early signs of cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, or other dental problems. After all, you've already paid for it, so why not use it!
4. Dental Problems Can Worsen
By delaying dental treatment, the problem becomes more extensive and expensive to treat later. What may be a simple cavity now could quickly turn into a root canal.
Call us to schedule an appointment – with a little careful planning, we can help fix the problem now with minimal out-of-pocket-expense. Don't get left down-in-the-mouth by in the year-end rush! |
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| Toothy Tid-Bits: Dental Sports Injuries
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One third of all sports injuries are craniofacial and about 3 million teeth will be knocked out in youth sporting events this year! How do you protect your fragile chompers? With a custom dental sports guard.
Custom sports guards fit the upper teeth comfortably and help prevent dental injuries such as tooth fracture and avulsion (a "knocked out" tooth). They can even help prevent concussion! Permanent teeth will benefit from a custom guard but tiny tumblers with baby teeth won't because their jaws are growing too rapidly. Instead, use an over-the-counter "boil-and-bite" guard for your littlest athletes.
What if a tooth does come out you ask? Here are some tips to save the tooth. That is, if you're lucky enough to find it among the blood, sweat, and cleats:
• 30 Minute Window - for best odds of long-term survival, the tooth must be put back in the socket within 30 minutes.
• Delicate Root - don't touch the root since it can be damaged easily.
• Use Milk - use Milk or saliva to clean the tooth. Don't rub it or rinse with water!
• Store The Tooth - if you can't replant the tooth, put it in a cup of milk or hold it in the cheek on the way to our office.
I pray a dental injury doesn't happen to you or your family, but I hope these tips will better prepare you if it does.
-Jocelyn Codington, RDH
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| Did you know? |
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Doc Holliday
Born in 1851 with a partial cleft lip & palate, Doc Holliday grew into one of history's most notorious dentists. A friend of Wyatt Earp, Holliday drew down in the Gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone, AT (Arizona Territory) and died 6 years later of multiple health problems in 1887. He was 36. Earp praised Holliday as, "the speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew." |
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