We truly hope all our patients know that proper dental care is very important. Even if you are keeping up with brushing, flossing and using mouthwash twice a day, you still need to see a dentist regularly. Usually, people keep up with their regular doctor appointments yearly, and the same practice should be kept up with dental check-ups. Dentists don’t just check your teeth and mouth; we also screen for diseases, such as gingivitis, cancer, etc.
To help with dental expenses, there are a few options for finding affordable dental care in Santa Monica: purchasing dental insurance, using a flexible spending account or applying for dental financing. Below, we will cover these options so you can pick which one works best for you and your family.
Dental Insurance
Dental insurance has been gaining popularity in recent years. Not only are more individuals purchasing it, but more and more companies are offering dental insurance to their employees and their families. Delta Dental claims that “people with dental insurance are more than twice as likely to visit their dentist regularly.”
Here are some of the more popular dental insurance plans:
* Delta Dental PPO – Hale & Hale DDS is a premier provider for Delta Dental
* Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
If your employer provides dental insurance, than you have no excuse not to see your dentist regularly. If you have to purchase your own dental insurance policy, research the different plans out there to see which is more affordable. It’s important to compare what you are currently spending out of pocket for your dental care to different plan options, monthly premiums, annual maximums, deductibles, and find the best deal for you. Dental insurance can be confusing that’s why the front desk administrators at Hale & Hale are there to help you decide if the plan is a good option. Call us with any questions.
Remember that dental insurance will usually not cover 100% of your dental work, and you may have to pay some out-of-pocket dentist fees. If you have to do that, you can pay with cash, credit card, use your flexible spending account, find a third party dental plan, or apply for dental financing.
Dental Financing
Most people don’t know that there are no interest dental financing programs available to help with dental costs. You probably financed your house and your car, and now you can make affordable monthly payments for your dental health. All you have to do is apply for the individual plan you choose, and schedule your dental appointment.
Our Santa Monica dental office accepts the following dental financing plans:
* Springstone Financing – This will provide a flexible payment plan for elective medical and dental procedures
* Care Credit – A financing credit card for healthy, beauty and wellness expenses that is accepted in over 150,000 places
* Citi Health Card – Flexible financing for health care services at participating dentists, orthodontists, vision care specialists, veterinarians and other providers
Flexible Savings Account
A flexible spending account (FSA) is one of a number of tax-advantaged financial accounts that can be set up through an employer. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of earnings to pay for qualified medical expenses. Money deducted from an employee’s pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in substantial payroll tax savings. One disadvantage to using an FSA is that funds not used by the end of the plan year are lost to the employee, known as the “use it or lose it” rule. So it’s important to calculate your average annual dental and medical “out of pocket expenses” and set aside that dollar amount through the FSA.
With these three ways to find affordable dental care, now you have no excuse not to see your Santa Monica dentist regularly. Make an appointment today.
For more information, visit http://www.sbhaledds.com
