119 East Main Street Gouverneur, New York 13642

Maximize Your Dental Benefits With Dr. Gardner

Many insurance plans include restrictions to shift the cost of dental care back onto you and your family. However, the year’s end also means the end of your dental plan year and that provides an opportunity for you to get the most out of your insurance providers. If you want to get the most out of your dental benefits, here’s why you should schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Gardner at Nicholas F Gardner Family Dental Care in Gouverneur NY before the New Year.

  1. The Yearly Max

Most dental insurance plans have a cap on their annual maximum coverage. Usually, this amount is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 per person and renews every year on the first of the year. It makes sense to use up to your maximum before it resets again if you can.

  1. Overlapping Years

If you have a number of costly related dental procedures lined up, it is possible to schedule them to begin before – and finish up after – the start of the New Year. This to reduces your out-of-pocket costs by smartly dipping into the maximums of two separate benefit years.

  1. Taxes

If your employer provides a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to contribute your pay into on a pre-tax basis, it’s smart to use your entire deduction amount for the year. If not, you will be walking away from any contributed funds that you haven’t used by the end of year deadline. Also, if you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), you can also use the balance to improve your oral health without incurring tax penalties.

  1. Deductibles

Most dental plans require you to pay out a specific amount of money out-of-pocket for your dental care before your benefits start paying in full. Once you’ve met your deductible, consider scheduling an appointment with Dr. Gardner for any procedure you may have been putting off. After all, once January first rolls around, you’ll have a brand new deductible to meet.

  1. Monthly Premiums

If you are paying monthly premiums for your dental insurance, you should be using those benefits. Many patients view dental insurance as an emergency measure against high costs related to unexpected dental procedures. However, even if you don’t currently have any serious dental problems, you should use your benefits for routine services such as cleanings to detect minor ones before they become serious.

  1. Fee increases

Because of the increasing cost of materials, equipment, etc., dentists must raise their fees on occasion. As the New Year begins, providers usually review their pricing to determine whether fee increases are merited. So if you wait until after the New Year begins, you may end up paying a higher co-pay.  It makes sense to schedule your appointment with Dr. Sisler now- in November or December- before any potential fee increases.

  1. Dental Problems Can Worsen

While it’s normal to put off things we don’t want to do, especially dental work that might be uncomfortable, the vast majority of dental issues will only get worse with time. Procrastination in this case usually only leads to more discomfort and higher costs when you finally do see the dentist. If you are seen before the end of the year, you are likely to pay less for your treatment and may also avoid additional discomfort. On the other hand, if you choose to wait, you may end up paying more and your dental insurance provider may not be willing to contribute as much.

To learn more about the insurance and payment options we accept at Nicholas F Gardner Family Dental Care, call our offices at (315) 203-1772.


Contact

Nicholas F. Gardner, DDSGouverneur, NY Dentist119 East Main Street Gouverneur, New York 13642

www.nfgdds.com

New Patients (315) 203-1772

Current Patients (315) 287-7900

Hours

Monday: 7:00am - 3:00pm
Tuesday : 7:00am - 3:00pm
Wednesday: 7:00am - 3:00pm
Thursday: 7:00am - 3:00pm
Friday: 7:00am - 3:00pm

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