Tips for Fitting Dental Care Into Your Budget

As we approach the end of the year, people’s thoughts turn to holidays…and the upcoming year’s health coverage. Individuals and employers need to make decisions about next year’s medical and dental benefit plans and we get questions from patients about coverage and changes. Often people don’t plan for dental expenses, but may be faced with them at any point during the year. Here are some tips to consider whenever you’re looking at managing dental expenses.

1. Take advantage of any workplace opportunities for flexible benefit plans or health savings accounts to use pre-tax money for your care. These plans allow people to set aside pre-tax dollars from their paycheck for healthcare expenses and save you from paying taxes on that money.

2. Ask your dental office’s business team for an estimate of what your yearly upcoming costs may be. Even if you have dental benefits, you may still have a deductible and copayments for any care beyond basic exams, x-rays and preventive cleanings.

3. If you don’t have any dental benefit coverage, you can still ask for an estimate of what your exams, x-rays, cleanings and any other recommended treatment may cost. You may want to set aside funds for this in your own savings account on a regular basis.

4. If you don’t have workplace benefits, you can ask if your dental office gives any discounts for people without coverage. No dental coverage will mean less work for your dental business team in submitting claims and bookkeeping. Our office offers a Membership Plan to help people stay on track with their basic care and then get a discount on any additional treatment needed.

5. Ask about financing. If you’re faced with a larger expense, ask your dental office if they offer any financing options. We accept CareCredit, which offers 0% financing.

6. Prioritize prevention. Avoiding regular low-cost diagnostic procedures like x-rays and exams and waiting until something breaks or hurts can mean a more extensive and costly repair in the long run, and poorer health. Recommendations may include special products for your specific needs or a nightguard to protect teeth from damage due to clenching or grinding. Ask your dental team what you can do to minimize future needs, we love to help people achieve better health!