{"id":71,"date":"2017-10-14T03:06:22","date_gmt":"2017-10-14T03:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/?p=71"},"modified":"2017-11-14T03:11:42","modified_gmt":"2017-11-14T03:11:42","slug":"dental-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/dental-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Waste Your Dental Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-25\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/iStock_44652496_SMALL-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"smiling family\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/iStock_44652496_SMALL-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/iStock_44652496_SMALL-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/iStock_44652496_SMALL.jpg 848w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Go ahead\u2014take a look at your calendar. We\u2019ll wait. Hard to believe that 2017 is almost over and 2018 is just around the corner. Before you ring in the New Year, be sure to make good use of the benefits on your dental insurance plan. The only thing they\u2019ll be doing to celebrate the New Year is expiring. Not good for you or your smile. Dental insurance is designed to help you and your family reap the rewards of a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile, but only if you take full advantage of your benefits.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Use Your Benefits or Lose Them<\/h2>\n<p>The National Association of Dental Plans estimates that only 2.8 percent of people who have PPO dental plans reach or exceed their plan\u2019s annual maximum. Similarly, people with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) that help pay for dental and medical care with pre-tax dollars leave money on the table at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you have a dental insurance benefits plan or an FSA, your hard-earned dollars need to be spent before December 31<sup>st<\/sup> or they will run out.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Make the Most of Your Benefits<\/h2>\n<p>Dental benefits are often purchased through an employer, or they can be purchased through individual plans. Regardless of the type of plan you have, there is almost always a premium that must be paid for the privilege of having dental insurance. These upfront dollars are wasted when you and your family don\u2019t see the dentist regularly.<\/p>\n<p>So, for the sake of your wallet and your smile, you should take advantage of dental benefits before they expire at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>The first step is to maintain regular preventive checkups. Most plans pay 100 percent for dental cleanings and exams, so there\u2019s really no reason not to schedule an appointment now if you need one.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, speak to your dentist about your dental needs and what treatment you may require before the end of the year. If more than one appointment is necessary, try to schedule them early so you don\u2019t run in to the busy holiday season at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<h2>Flexible Spending Accounts<\/h2>\n<p>An FSA is arranged through your employer. You decide how much money goes into the account and a portion is deducted from each paycheck pre-tax. Very often, these accounts work like debit cards and you use the card to pay for medical and dental expenses. At the dentist\u2019s office an FSA usually cover preventive services, a portion of some restorative services, dentures, braces for dental health, and co-pays.<\/p>\n<p>While some FSAs offer a grace period of a couple of months, eventually money unspent is money lost. Be sure to check with your employer\u2019s human resources representative or the FSA administrator to know what your plan allows.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meet the Doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/about-our-office.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Rashpal Deol<\/a> is the dentist in San Ramon who works with many insurance companies and is in network with\u00a0Delta Dental. We&#8217;ll be happy to tell you what your insurance will cover and file your claim for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Go ahead\u2014take a look at your calendar. We\u2019ll wait. Hard to believe that 2017 is almost over and 2018 is just around the corner. Before you ring in the New Year, be sure to make good use of the benefits on your dental insurance plan. The only thing they\u2019ll be doing to celebrate the New [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Don\u2019t Waste Your Dental Insurance - Oak Ridge Dental Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Now is the time to use all the benefits of your dental insurance plan before they expire at the end of the year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oakridgedentalsanramon.com\/blog\/dental-insurance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Don\u2019t Waste Your Dental Insurance - 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