Gum disease is more common than many people realize, with around half of all adults in the United States having some form of it. It starts off with mild symptoms, but if it’s left alone for too long, it can lead to tooth loss and increase your risk for serious health issues such as heart disease. As such, you’ll want to do whatever you can to keep your smile safe from gum disease – and one way to do so is to take full advantage of your dental insurance benefits.
How Can You Use Dental Insurance to Lower Your Risk for Gum Disease?
One of the easiest ways to use your dental insurance is to visit your dentist twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings. Many insurance plans will cover most or all of the cost of these preventive visits, allowing you to get the care your smile needs without putting too much strain on your bank account.
What does this have to do with avoiding gum disease? The main focus of a dental cleaning is to get rid of the plaque and tartar that have built up in your mouth. These harmful substances can easily lead to gum disease if they’re ignored for too long. Thus, having plaque and tartar removed by a trained dental expert can go a long way toward protecting the health of your gums.
Furthermore, regular dental checkups give your dentist a chance to identify the warning signs of gum disease while the condition is still in its earliest stages. This gives them a chance to address the problem while it’s easier to treat, thus letting you avoid the consequences of an advanced gum infection.
Simply put, by using your dental insurance benefits to help pay for preventive care now, you can significantly reduce your risk of experiencing severe gum disease in the future.
Can Dental Insurance Pay for Gum Disease Treatment?
If gum disease occurs despite your best efforts, there’s a good chance that your dental insurance plan will at least partially cover the services needed to treat it. In many cases, this may involve a deep cleaning procedure that consists of scaling and root planing; many dental insurance companies will cover between 50% and 80% of the cost of this treatment.
Don’t forget that you’ll likely need to meet your deductible for the year before your dental insurance plan will help pay for gum disease treatment. Also, if you reach your plan’s annual maximum (which is the most that your insurance company will pay for your dental care within a year’s time), you’ll need to pay the remaining cost of gum disease treatment out of your own pocket.
In short, gum disease can be a dire threat to your oral health, but there are ways you can avoid the worst of its consequences, and your dental insurance can help you pay for the care you need to protect your smile.
About the Author
Dr. Shelley D. Shults spent nearly 20 years as a nurse before she decided to enter the field of dentistry. She received her dental education from the Ohio State University, and she is affiliated with the Ohio Dental Association as well as other professional organizations. Her practice, Powell Dental Group, accepts various dental insurance plans and offers a wide range of services, including scaling and root planing for gum disease treatment. If you’re concerned about gum disease, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Shults by visiting her website or calling (614) 436-4433.