No one jumps for joy when their dentist tells them they have cavities. However, needing fillings is nothing to be ashamed of; more than 95% of people in the United States will have a cavity at some point in their lives. That said, you still might be tempted to put off scheduling the procedure, especially if your teeth don’t hurt. Doing so may seem convenient, but there’s a reason your dentist recommended getting fillings as soon as possible. In fact, getting the fillings you need before 2021 ends could save you money! Read on to learn how.
What Happens If You Don’t Get Fillings When You Need Them?
Unlike most other parts of the body, tooth enamel cannot repair itself once it has been damaged. If a decayed tooth doesn’t get a filling, the cavity could worsen over time. Eventually, it may destroy so much healthy tooth structure that a filling is no longer enough. Instead, you might end up needing root canal therapy, which involves your dentist removing the nerve-filled pulp in the tooth’s center. The decay might even become so extensive that there is no viable option for repairing the tooth. In that case, your dentist would have to extract it entirely.
Both of these procedures are more expensive than getting a simple filling. Fortunately, they are largely preventable as long as you get the fillings you need in a timely manner.
Save Money by Getting Those Fillings Before the Year Ends!
Why is the end of the year a good deadline for getting fillings? The answer has to do with your dental insurance. Most insurance plans have a certain amount of coverage that they’ll put toward your care in a calendar year. This amount, called an annual maximum, is usually around $1,200, but fewer than three percent of Americans with dental insurance ever use all of their benefits in a given year. Unfortunately, any unused benefits typically do NOT roll over into the next year. This means that millions of people let dental coverage go to waste by paying their premiums for nothing!
A good way to avoid wasting your annual maximum is to get any necessary dental work completed before the year ends. At this point in the year, you’ve likely already met your deductible (the amount you must pay out-of-pocket before your insurance company begins covering your care). If you put off fillings until 2022, you’d not only be wasting your annual maximum, but you’d also have to pay your deductible all over again.
When it comes to dental treatments like fillings, it’s best to take care of them sooner rather than later. That way, you can start the new year off with a healthier smile and a fuller wallet!
About the Author
Dr. Rupeshwar Renkuntla has nearly 20 years of experience in the dental field. After studying dentistry in his native India, he moved to the U.S., earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, and opened Saginaw Dental. He is an in-network provider for many of the nation’s leading dental insurance plans and will even welcome out-of-network PPOs. To learn more about saving money on dental care in Saginaw, TX, contact Dr. Renkuntla at 817-989-2832.