Don’t Let Your Benefits Go To Waste!

The end of the year is fast approaching and when the New Year rolls over, so do your dental benefits. Dental insurance benefits are paid for throughout the year by you. You may have money left over that you have not taken advantage of, but that you have already paid for. Once the New Year comes around, those benefits are no longer available to you. These are benefits you have already paid for and that you are able to take advantage of and that insurance companies hope you don’t know about. Not only that, but once the New Year begins, you pay a new deductible for dental services.

It can be beneficial to use your benefits now because fee increases can happen, and your insurance company may change the amount they pay. If you have had your eye on enhancing your smile for a while but have been holding off, now is the time to take advantage. You deserve an amazing smile that is going to wow your friends at the next holiday party.

Sometimes, treatments that are needed to keep your smile healthy, or it may seem like a something you can just do later. In fact you may have been putting this off all year. But by delaying treatment, you may cause extensive damage to your smile, which costs more.

For more information on your dental benefits, or to take advantage of dental benefits before they expire contact Dr. Rice and her team.

3 Positives To Your Dental Insurance Calendar Year Running Out

The dental year is quickly winding down. You may have insurance benefits you have not used. Whether you were holding onto them because you didn’t want to waste them in the event of a dental emergency, or you just haven’t thought about the fantastic benefit of having dental insurance lately, “You have now come upon a great opportunity,” says Periodontist Dr.Rice.

During this time, you may now be able to take advantage of getting laser surgery for periodontal disease and the insurance benefits can be spread out over two insurance years. Periodontal disease can impact not only your gums and teeth, but it can also negatively impact your entire body.

Dental insurance can also be used to fix and restore your smile. If your gums have receded due to periodontal disease, gum-contouring procedures can many times reshape your gums to allow your teeth to be more even and to enhance your smile. While this procedure may sound cosmetic in nature, lower gums can increase the risk of teeth becoming loose and it may eventually lead to tooth loss.

Fixing missing teeth can improve the overall look of your smile and make a huge difference in the first impression you present. While periodontists work with your gums Dr. Denine Rice is able to also help improve your smile by working on improving the strength of your jawbone to ensure it can hold any dental implants needed to fix missing teeth.

For more information on procedures to improve your smile, contact Dr. Rice & her team today!

It's That Time Of Year!

It's that time of year again, when you can either enjoy the insurance benefits you have already paid for or watch those same benefits disappear. Time is ticking on, and the holidays are around the corner.  Spend your dental insurance dollars before the clock runs out, as once the New Year is here, the benefits you have acquired to use for the year will most likely be gone.

You may wonder why would go to the periodontist. You may even tell yourself it is not time for your yearly periodontal check, or that your teeth look fine. But Dr. Rice suggests, “You can also utilize your dental benefits for procedures that can improve the health of your smile.” Remember, most dental benefits do not roll over to be applied to the next year.

If you have periodontal disease, but have been putting off laser surgery, now is the time to take advantage of your insurance so you can regain your self-confidence and your smile.   Laser surgery can remove plaque from below the gum line in order to decrease the impact of periodontal disease and lesson the likelihood of loosing a tooth. And it does all that without cutting the tissue, which means healing begins immediately.

For more information on how you can utilize your dental insurance to your advantage contact Dr. DenineRice and her team today.

How Your Gums Are Impacted During The Holiday Season!

 This holiday season don’t let brushing and flossing go to the wayside. We know you’re busy cooking, spending time with family and shopping, but your gums still need your care. Set reminders to brush and floss twice a day if you think your holiday is going to be jam-packed.  It can be easy to forget to pack your toothbrush when you’re rushing to make the six a.m. flight to New York to be with your brother or loved ones. However, the increased food consumption over the holidays and bad eating habits can cause multiple problems for you when you return if you haven’t kept to your normal routine.

            For example, Dr. Denine Rice reports that after the holidays she sees a rise of new patients who have severe dental decay. While your gums and teeth may not be in great shape before the holidays, not taking care of them while you are consuming turkey, stuffing, cranberries, nuts and pumpkin pie makes a bad situation for your gums and teeth even worse. Another one of the treatment areas where periodontist Dr. Denine Rice sees an increase after the holiday is in chipped and broken tooth.  While you’re enjoying the party mixed nuts or hardened foods you may unfortunately chip a tooth below the gum line.  If this situation happens to you, Dr. Rice is able to complete a crown lengthening procedure to help rebuild the area in order for teeth to be replaced.

            While it may seem like a good idea to indulge during the holidays, do your teeth a favor and protect your teeth and gums. And if it’s time to see your dentist, don’t let the holidays allow you to put it off. Call today.

End of Year

The end of the insurance year is fast approaching, so Dr. DenineRice suggests taking advantage. Has Dr. Rice recommended a treatment that you haven't taken care of yet? Or have you been dragging your feet on laser periodontal surgery? Now is the perfect time to get these things done, now before your dental insurance benefits are lost.

 

Insurance companies award you a certain amount of money each year. If you do not use the money you loose the amount.  Once the year is over any money not used for dental treatment goes back to the insurance company. However, you already paid for this money by paying your monthly premium.  And while you may believe that your dental insurance will cover you when you get around to that appointment, putting treatment off not only decreases the overall health of your smile, but you may be lose money and options if your dental insurance benefits change the following year for some reason out of your control.

Waiting to complete recommended procedures can cause more damage. If you have a periodontal infection the only way to treat is to remove the bacteria in the mouth. Otherwise, the infection can spread not only to other teeth but around your body, causing damage to other body parts.  In the end,  waiting for a treatment can end up costing you a significant amount of money, time and your overall health.

Every month you and perhaps your employer pay for these benefits. Dr. Rice suggests you take advantage of this special opportunity to increase the health of your gums. 

Dental Insurance and Your Second Opinion

Many patients feel the need to get a second opinion and that is good. Here are some things for you to know before you head to your 2^nd opinion.

1.     Dental Insurance Providers: If you are seeing a dentist who is contracted with your insurance, the insurance company determines the fee that can be charged for each procedure. “That means that the fees will only be different if materials or procedures recommended are changed,” says Dr.Denine Rice from her Riverside California Periodontal practice. “If the treatment and products are identical, there should be no difference in the fees.”

2.     According to most dental insurance contracts with dentists, the dentist is not supposed to waive a patient’s copay. This could be considered insurance fraud and while it may seem nice, if the dentist is investigated, the patient with knowledge of what was done, could also be charged.

3.     Your dental office is considered a third party. The contract you have with your insurance company is between you and your insurance. While your dentist will assist you by filing claims and calling to check eligibility, they have limited access to information. “If we are contracted with an insurance, they will give us a fee schedule to use and ask that we submit claims for patients, but they do not guarantee any benefits,” adds Lydia, the insurance coordinator at Rice Periodontics. “That’s why, as a patient, it is in your best interest to contact your insurance company to learn more about your dental benefits.”