Dental care can be costly if insurance doesn’t cover the entire procedure, so it’s important to include it in the family budget, especially for unexpected dental emergencies. This article entails a few tips and suggestions to make sure your dental care budget will cover everything your family needs!
Take advantage of the preventive services your plan does cover. Most plans cover appointments, including co-pays, so you have no reason to not go. It’s important to go to the dentist regularly to ensure to minimize the need for other procedures.
Additionally, it’s important to find out what your plan doesn’t cover. Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist if the tests and procedures are absolutely necessary — you don’t want to get billed for something you didn’t actually need to have done.
Talk to your dental provider to make an estimated yearly cost for everyone in your family. After figuring out how much your insurance will cover, divide the annual cost by 12 and set aside that amount every month. Try to schedule appointments around when you’ll have the money to cover them. It’s important to budget for things your insurance might not cover. Even little costs, like a co-pay, can add up over time.
If you have a dental emergency but can’t afford it, talk to your dentist about a payment plan. Most dentists will allow for these and you won’t have to remain in pain or risk the problem worsening by waiting until you have the money to get the procedure done.
You can even consider going to a dental school if you can’t afford to go to a certified dentist. Dental schools often do cleanings for free and you can feel good about helping to teach the future dentists of America. (The University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry and Herzing University are a couple here in the Twin Cities.)
Dental procedures like root canals and teeth extractions are often unforeseen and can be costly. It’s important to consider these extra procedures into your budget. After all, approximately three million people currently have dental implants, and that number is continuing to increase by 500,000 a year. You never know what is going to happen, and it’s important to expect the unexpected.
Always ask your dentist office to itemize each procedure so you know exactly how much each treatment costs. This way, if something on your bill doesn’t look correct, you can have something to look back on for clarification.
Dental care is not something you should take lightly, so it’s important to have a budget plan for your family so you can afford important cleaning appointment and unexpected procedures!
