Use it or Lose it. Have you accessed your dental health fund benefits?

If you’re like me, once December is here it’s all about Christmas planning, holiday scheduling and New Year’s Eve partying – but when we say ‘Goodbye’ to 2017 you can also wave farewell to many of your Health Fund benefits – including your Dental cover.

More bang for your buck.

Health funds are a great investment if you maximise your coverage before the end of each year. Take a minute to remind yourself what your monthly health cover payments are; now total that for the year. It adds up, right?

Why invest in good health cover only to let your benefit expire without making full use of your entitlements.

With Dental and Optical the most used cover, it’s sound practice to keep up with your regular Active Maintenance appointments and stay on top of your dental health.

What am I covered for?

Each health fund is different, but in general most will have two dental categories – General Dental cover and Major Dental cover.

General dental offers a rebate on items such as check-ups, cleans, fluoride treatment, x-rays, fillings and simple tooth extractions, while Major Dental will usually cover more complex treatment like root canals, crowns and implants.

Do the benefits roll over if I don’t use them?

All health funds vary, but most allow for a check-up and clean every 6 months. There is usually a yearly limit that will expire at the end of either the financial, or calendar year whether you have used it or not. The benefit does not roll over from year to year if it is unused, so the most sensible option for your wallet and your teeth, is to maximise your cover and USE it before it expires.

Prevention is better than a cure!

We are all busy in this last period of the year, with Christmas, holidays, summer, parties, events and plans.  Making sure your holiday and relaxation time is incident free is easy and makes sense. A toothache on holidays does not make for good times and most dentists take annual leave at the end of the year, so spare a moment’s thought for your teeth (and your holiday) and book in for a dental check before you’re too busy!

Why the regular check?

The reason that your health fund allows for a 6-monthly clean and check is that regular maintenance helps to prevent the need for more complex treatment, by nipping any problems in the bud before they accelerate to the next level. Regular check-ups equate to less dental work, and the less you’re out of pocket.

Little teeth too!

Kids are on holidays too, so it may be a good idea to get your whole family in to see us. I’d rather not have a child in pain and the stress of trying to find an available dentist instead of opening presents on Christmas day…
Understand your entitlements.

Check with your health funds to see what dental benefits you have and if they expire on a calendar yearly basis.

Now! Don’t leave it too late…

Take 30-45 minutes out of your busy schedule in the next month to book in your check-up. Remember: simple problem = simple (and cheaper) solution!

Want to learn more or book a consultation? Visit our Contact Us page and complete our enquiry form or call us on 02 9389 3656, we’ll be happy to help answer your questions.