Wednesday, August 8, 2012

August 8, 2012 – As the Summer winds down and Fall is quickly approaching, Gentle Dental Group, http://www.GentleDentalGroup.com, South Florida's leading dental practice with 21 locations throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast, is taking the opportunity to remind our South Florida dental office patients to use their dental care benefits before the end of the year.

While some dental insurance plans run on a fiscal year, the majority of dental insurance plans are based on a calendar year, which means, any of their 2012 annual benefits will expire at the end of the calendar year. The phrase "use it or lose it" really does apply to dental benefits. If you have dental insurance, your insurer has allowed so many dollars per calendar – or fiscal year, and unused dollars do not carry-over. If you participate in a Flexible Spending or Health Savings Account, and you don't use all your benefits before the end of the year, you will forfeit any left-over money in these accounts—benefits which you have paid for. If you don't use that money, it can't be carried over to next year and is lost to you forever, warn the South Florida dentists at Gentle Dental Group.

Given the fact that most consumers have just a few months left to use their dental insurance benefits, Gentle Dental Group has developed the following tips to help educate patients on how to maximize their dental care benefits.

Call your dental insurance provider and find out the exact amount of your unspent dental benefits.

While you're on the phone find out what dental procedures will qualify. Typically, preventive procedures such as dental cleanings, dental x-rays and routine dental exams are covered, while cosmetic treatments, such as teeth whitening or veneers, usually aren't covered. However, dental benefits on every dental insurance plan are different, so it's best to find out what your benefits are.

Call your dentist and schedule an appointment for yourself and any eligible family member covered by your dental plan. The sooner you do this, the more likely your dentist will be able to schedule you and your family member's appointments. Keep in mind, October through January are typically the busiest months for our South Florida dentists.

Another reason to use your dental care benefits before the end of the year is possible coverage changes. Insurance companies often make changes to the benefits they provide, which could include changes in procedures covered and copay increases.

Saving money isn't your only motivator, either. Routine visits to the dentist can detect early problems like gum diseases and oral cancers. Even a small cavity or dental filling left unattended can become a bigger, more expensive dental problem if you ignore it.

Even if you don't have dental insurance, Gentle Dental Group can help you get access to affordable dentistry with the VIP Discount Dental Program, which provides up to 65% savings on all general, specialty and cosmetic dentistry services at any of their 21 South Florida dental offices. Gentle Dental's VIP Discount Program is one of the most reasonable discount dental plans in Florida, and is ideal for patients without insurance or those who have exhausted their annual dental insurance benefits.

For more information about Gentle Dental Group's VIP Discount Program, visit http://www.gentledentalgroup.com/vip-discount-program-2/ or to schedule an appointment, call Gentle Dental Group toll-free at 877-343-3253.

About Gentle Dental

Founded in 1997 and having treated over 430,000 patients, Gentle Dental is the leading provider of dental health services in South Florida. Gentle Dental has 21 convenient locations throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast, providing Cosmetic Dentistry services, Preventative Dental Treatments, General and Reconstructive Dentistry and Specialty Dentistry. With the motto, "All Dentistry…One Place", the Gentle Dental team is equipped to serve all of your dental needs or wants – under one roof, whether you're looking for general or cosmetic dentistry specialists such as orthodontists, oral surgeons, endodontists, pediatric, periodontists or prosthodontists.

Call Gentle Dental toll-free at 1-877-343-3253 or visit Gentle Dental online at http://www.GentleDentalGroup.com, and follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GentleDentalFL) and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MyGentleDental).