An economic bailout for you!

With all of the news focused mainly around the economy, big businesses being bailed out, and all of the money being spent by the government, I'm sure most of you are wondering when you are going to see any of this that actually helps you out. Unfortunately I don't have any good news about anything "new" coming your way. But I would like to talk about free money that a lot of you out there are receiving and you don't even realize it---your dental "insurance".

But to understand how your dental insurance is actually this "free money" that I am talking about, you first need to understand exactly how your insurance works.

The first thing you need to know is that your dental insurance is not really insurance at all----it is more of a benefit in the fact that you, or more likely your employer, purchased a plan that gives you a maximum amount of money to use each year.
For an easy comparison let's contrast it to your medical insurance. For medical insurance you are required to pay a deductible per year for any treatment you receive and anything over that deductible is covered under your plan. So if anything major is ever needed your medical insurance will kick in to cover the costs. On the other hand your dental benefits will in most cases cover almost all of your routine dental care, but as more extensive treatment is needed to get your mouth back to perfect health, the services and percentages of those services that your provider pays drops dramatically or stops completely.

I know, I said I had some good news for you. But the way I have just described dental coverage does not seem like good news at all, does it?

Here is where a change in thinking must come in. Instead of being frustrated that coverage you have is not going to cover everything that you will potentially need----you should get excited about the fact that you have an expense account that is going to contribute to getting or keeping your mouth in the best possible shape.
Look at it like your employer has given you $1500 to use for the year. But here is the kicker, if you don't use it, you lose it. And then who is going to get what is left?----you guessed it, the insurance company. And we've all seen what those types of businesses are capable of with more of our money in their pocket.

How can you take advantage of this free money? Simple, make sure you are making it in to see your dentist at least twice per year. If you are in top shape, then everything is great and you have gotten the most out of your benefits. If there is some work to be done to get you back to your best, then your dentist will be able to work with you and discuss your options for how to get the most out of your coverage, and get what should be yours-----at the same time maintaining a healthy smile that everyone should view as a priority.

So no excuses for leaving any free money on the table. Just think of it as your piece of the bailout.