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Use Your Dental Insurance Benefits Before They Expire
Hoertdoerfer Dentistry • September 10, 2024
Use It or Lose It By the End of the Year
One of the better kept secrets in the world of dental care relates to your dental insurance. It is possible as the year winds down that you have unused benefits that may cover services so long as you see your dentist before the end of the year. You are paying for dental insurance on an annual basis, so knowing where you stand in regard to this benefit is reasonable and imperative in the fall months. Once the new calendar year begins, you will lose any benefit you previously had, but didn’t use. Thus, the phrase, “Use it, or lose it.”
In order to determine if you have untapped coverage for needed and wanted dental work in any given year, your first call should be to your dental insurance provider. Find out if you still have unused benefits and what your out-of-pocket costs may look like if you seek care for anything from preventative dentistry to cosmetic work.
Contacting your dentist’s office is also imperative because at this time of year, appointments are harder to obtain, and holidays make for more office vacations and closings. When patients realize they do, in fact, have unused benefits, they want to be seen as soon as possible and before the New Year. Make sure you can obtain an appointment, and be forewarned, there are times that patients wait too long and simply cannot be seen and treated before the New Year.
We know that patients are not typically in a hurry to see their dentist, and even put off needed dental care throughout the year. Nevertheless, understanding the potential financial upside to receiving care now, while you have benefits that may cover the costs, should motivate you to get that next dental appointment scheduled.
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One of the better kept secrets in the world of dental care relates to your dental insurance. It is possible as the year winds down that you have unused benefits that may cover services so long as you see your dentist before the end of the year
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By Elizabeth M. Jenkins, Marketing and Communications Director The year 2020 will be remembered as the year everyone had to stay home to stay safe. Toothaches and dental emergencies do not know there is a global pandemic happening and that dentist offices have been mandated to clear their in-office appointments. The 16th-century proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” rings especially true as we face new ways to live a social existence in a socially distant world. The Covid-19 has forced us to adapt to a different way of conducting our lives and our businesses. In the dental industry that means we need to find another way to see patients and help them through emergency situations when scheduling an office visit is not a viable option. Luckily 2020 also means remote technology-driven healthcare has spread its tentacles into the oral health field in the form of Teledentistry. What is Teledentistry? Teledentistry (also called virtual dental care) allows the patient and clinician to come together via a HIPAA-compliant live video conference in real-time, from any location.The experience is similar to Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, or WebEx. How does it work? Scheduling a teledentistry appointment can be done by calling the dentist office, scheduling online through the website or texting the emergency number on the website. Your dentist will create a link to connect to a face-to-face virtual appointment. The link is emailed or texted back to the patient. The patient clicks the link at the scheduled time and they are transported into a virtual waiting room until the dentist opens the virtual door and invites them into the chat room. The dentist has the opportunity to look at the patient’s history/chart before talking with the patient. When can Teledentistry be helpful? Teledentistry appointments are helpful for patients who are experiencing a toothache, pain, swelling, cracked tooth, loose tooth, abscess, lost filling, broken denture, or a temporary crown becomes loose or fell off. A dentist can often relieve patient anxiety while directing the next step to their relief. Teledentistry eliminates the need for unnecessary exposure during this coronavirus outbreak while still giving patients access to their dentist. It also helps patients avoid hospital emergency rooms as the dentist can triage the patient. Is Teledentistry covered under dental insurance plans? Many dental insurance companies recognize the benefits of virtual dental care both for the patient and for the dental offices. Teledentistry has become a viable way for patients to communicate with dental professionals when patients have a dental emergency or concern but they can’t be seen immediately in the office. It is easy to use, less expensive, less time consuming, and removes travel time. The next time you have a dental issue, remember that this remote technology-driven healthcare is here to help you!
by Elizabeth M. Jenkins, Marketing and Communications Director Anxiety seems to be at an all-time high as 2020 becomes the year a global pandemic stopped our world from spinning. Within a three month period, we have gone from hugging our friends and family, shaking hands with people we have just met and congregating with large groups, to wearing face masks in public, standing 6 feet away from others, washing our hands a hundred times a day and for many, not going out in public at all. It is easy to see how anxiety can dictate every step we take. As businesses begin to reopen, owners have the added responsibilities of making sure their patrons are safe and feel secure when in their care. What does that mean for dental offices as they begin to reopen their doors? How does a business that primarily concentrates on the inside of their patient’s mouth make sure their patients and their staff feel protected and secure during a global pandemic? Our world has changed, but just because beautiful smiles are covered by a face mask doesn’t mean teeth require less attention. Dr. Bryan Hoertdoerfer (Dr. H.) owner of Hoertdoerfer Dentistry , and a leader in dental technologies has been using personal protective equipment (PPE), sterilized equipment, and high-volume suction long before COVID 19 was a common word. COVID 19 is our reality and dental patients need to know the steps they can expect from their dental professionals. “The most powerful thing we can do right now is to educate ourselves on infectious diseases, understand how they spread, and then take that knowledge and apply it to ensure our dental office is as safe as possible to protect our most valuable assets; our patients and our staff,” Dr. Bryan Hoertdoerfer.