December 2018: You are about to lose them!

No – we are not talking about your teeth. We are referring to your dental benefits. The end of the year is fast approaching and by failing to use benefits this year, you may have less money from your plan to pay for dental treatment in the future.

Often times, dental benefits are unused or underutilized because patients do not understand how helpful the benefits can be.   Also, dental insurance plans can be confusing at times.  Typically, there are major differences between dental insurance and health insurance plans. Our dentist in Columbia, SC can help you understand how to get the most out of the benefits you have already paid for!

First, visits to the dentist every six months for a cleaning and exam can prevent or minimize hours of pain and high cost later on.  Our dentist can find cavities and cracks in teeth when these problems just begin.  If caught early enough, most dental problems are easier and cheaper to fix.  By waiting until a tooth hurts (which seems to always occurs at the most inopportune time like a holiday or weekend), the likelihood of a quick and relatively inexpensive fix is greatly diminished. Many problems can be corrected in one to two visits.  That means less time off from work and away from family, and less hassle.

Second, a registered, license dental hygienist or dentist should evaluate your gums for signs of periodontal disease before it gets too bad! Untreated periodontal disease can lead to bad breath, tooth loss, diabetes complications, and a host of other issues.  The only way to definitively diagnose periodontal disease is by our dental team taking measurements around the teeth with a specialized instrument.  Most insurance plans will cover the majority of minor periodontal treatment costs like scaling and root planing or a full mouth debridement which can be typically performed by our dental team.

In addition, if not caught early enough, some periodontal issues can require the treatment of a specialist which likely means even greater costs. Periodontal disease has been linked to many other health problems including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and pancreatic and kidney cancers.

Call us today at 803-661-8412 to schedule an appointment before the holidays. Some insurance plans require treatment to be completed before the end of the year! For information on all the services we provide, please visit our website.

DON’T LET YOUR INSURANCE BENEFITS EXPIRE THIS YEAR – YOU PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THEM!

Also, Dental Insurance Open Enrollment expires December 15. If you need assistance in finding and evaluating a dental plan, please let us know.