Thanks to everyone that participated in our survey.  As of 8/4/2010 the survey is now closed.  Look for your Chipotle cards in the next week or so…. we were a little overwhelmed by the response….

Many people in Columbus have to update or sign up for their insurance plans in the Fall.   We are doing this survey to collect some information to write a future blog article on Dental Insurance.  We need some real world information so we are requesting your help.

Your answers will be anonymous and the results will be posted sometime in September.  The information may help you make a future decision on your dental insurance. 

As a thank you we will send everyone that participates a Chipotle gift card.  You do not need to be one of our patients to participate.  Click to take the survey!

I our last blog post we began an explanation of what dental insurance is, and isn’t. 

We continue the theme today.

My dental insurance will pay only for a less expensive treatment.  Should I get that instead?  Insurers commonly pay for the “least expensive” alternative treatment.  Many times this is not the smartest or best choice.  Together you and your dentist will decide on a dental treatment plan that is right for you.  Think of other buying expereinces.  Do you typically go for the bare bones basic or do you go for something more middle of the road.  In the end, it’s how you value your mouth and what you want to spend to keep it in shape.

If I don’t have coverage for the dental treatment, it must not be needed.  Nope, I don’t think so.  The limitations of your dental policy are totally arbitrary.  They have no relation to the treatment that you need or may want.  It is our responsibility to advise you what treatments are available and what is best for you.  Your insurance contract is designed by lawyers and financial experts to control costs.

Why aren’t preventive treatments or better, longer lasting alternatives convered?  Employers change insurance carriers on average every 2 years so your insurer is not concerned with what happens later.  The incentive for insurance corporations to save now, not years later.

Why can you only estimate my dental coverage?  We deal with 1000’s of dental plans and 100’s of types of treatment each year.  Most insurance carriers refuse to release the details of their plans to the dental office.  They change policies and reimbursements constantly and without notice.

Read more: What does my dental insurance cover Part 1

 How does dental Insurance work?  Dental benefits aren’t really insurance plans because they don’t provide coverage for a catastrophic loss.  Your dental benefit plan is an agreement to help pay for some of your dental needs.  The more your employer(or you) pays for coverage, the lower your out-of-pocket costs will be.

I am looking for a Columbus dentist that is on my dental plan?  This may surprise you but a large percentage of Columbus dentists aren’t on any dental insurance provider lists.  Many dental insurance plans allow you to go to any dentist.  The dental insurance will pay a portion of your dental bill and the remainder will be the patient responsibility.  But when you look at how much  you are paying for dental insurance(typically about 5% of what you pay each month for your medical insurance) you understand why it doesn’t cover as much.  If you want to have a wide choice of Columbus dentists to choose from, be sure to pick a dental insurance plan that allows you to choose any dentist. 

How are dental plans different? Most dental plans have deductibles, maximums of the amount of $$$ they will pay per plan year, and which dental services they exclude.  Of all the dental procedures a dentist does, over half of them are excluded from most dental insurance contracts.  

My dental plan covers 100%. Perhaps for some services it does but it’s 100% of what?  Many plans say they cover 100% of a filling fee but it’s not 100% of the fee the dentist charges for the filling but 100% of the fee set in the insurance companies fee schedule. 

Can you waive my patient portion and accept whatever my dental insurance pays?  This seems innocent and we would like to help, however such things are considered falsified billing.

I reached the maximum of what my dental insurance will pay quickly, is that normal?  The $1000 maximum was set 40 years ago.  At that time, $1000 was considered a reasonable level of dental coverage each year.  Adjusting for inflation, your maximum should be about $5000 today, but employers have sought to keep costs down so the plans stick with the out of date maximum.

Congratulations to Columbus dental patients Karen, Sarah, & George for winning this month’s Smile Club Tickets!

The Cheap Trick show last Friday at the LC Pavilion was a great way to spend a summer evening and the weather cleared up just in time for a great show.

There are more fun tickets to giveaway in August including excellent seats to Wicked!

Find out more about our Smile Club and how you could win!  It’s easy!  You just need to be a patient or our follow us on Facebook!

Everyday we see people in our office that want to do something to improve their smile.  

Some folks are ready to start taking better care of their oral health by committing to regular cleanings and getting rid of all their decay or taking care of the gum disease in their mouths.

We have patients that have noticed that their teeth are a little yellow, or discolored and want to brighten up their smile with some tooth whitening.  Still others want to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant or secure a lose denture with some mini dental implants. 

We see people that are tired of the way their teeth look and want to know what can be done to invisibly straighten their teeth or fix teeth that are chipped or broken.  

 The point I am trying to make is, unlike most dental offices, we can do just about anything for our patients to improve their smiles right here in our office without having to send you to a specialist.  From regular dental cleanings to full mouth Smile makeovers we have taken care of patient smiles for over 30 years. 

So if there is something that you would like to change about your smile, give us a call or send us an email.  We offer complimentary Smile Consultations for new and existing patients or we can talk about it at your next cleaning. 

With today’s dentistry the possibilities are endless and many times a small change can have a dramatic impact on your appearance.

We all know that toothpaste is used to keep our teeth clean and healthy but there are also some very creative uses.  We listed several here and invite you to click on the “comment” link at the top of this blog post on the right and add a few of your own. 

You can sign on as userid= guest, password = guest  if you would like to comment anonymously.

1.  Polish Jewlery
2. Remove crayon from painted walls
3. Clean the chrome in your bathroom or kitchen
4. Overnight blemish cream
5. Goggle defogger for you Scuba divers
6. Fixed scratched DVDs
7. Stop the itch of bug bites
8. Click on “comment” above this posting on the right to add your idea or review other’s contributions