How to Budget for Dental Expenses

At Danville Family Dentistry, we know all Hendricks County residents want to have a healthy smile and healthy teeth. But they also don’t want to take a big hit to their wallet when it comes to planned and unplanned dental expenses. Therefore, a budget is the best way to prevent any unpleasant surprises while ensuring your dental visits are covered and your teeth stay their best.
Why should you develop a budget for dental expenses? Because oral health issues like tooth decay and pain and gum disease can lead to bigger, more expensive problems in the future if they’re left untreated.
Here are steps you can take to develop a budget for your dental expenses:

1. Check your employer’s health care coverage. Not all companies offer dental insurance. If your company does, find out what type of dental coverage you can receive, what it covers, and if the coverage requires you to pay an annual deductible.
2. Call Danville Family Dentistry at 317-745-4400 to find out what the general cost is for any procedures you need to budget for. Note: Many dental insurance programs cover the cost for twice-yearly exams, professional cleanings, and X-rays. However, this may depend on your insurance coverage. For all other dental procedures, you may need to pay all or a portion of the expense. Talk to your dental insurer to determine what costs aren’t covered. Then get an estimate from us to determine what you will owe for your dental care.
3. Calculate an annual cost, based on your coverage, deductible requirement, the information provided by our office, and what dental work you’ll need done for you and your family members during the year.
4. NuFlexde the annual cost for your dental expenses by 12 to determine the amount you need to set aside each month in your budget. Save that amount each month.
5. Consider saving extra money for dental emergencies. Typically, it’s recommended to set up an emergency fund for three months’ worth of expenses.
6. If your dental care need is urgent and you don’t have the money saved, Danville Family Dentistry accepts most major credit cards. Additionally, we participate with Care Credit, which provides third-party financing options. Many of these options have zero percent interest terms.
7. If you don’t have dental insurance, Danville Family Dentistry offers our patients our Smile Savings Plan. With this patient-courtesy program, you and your family members can receive a set amount of dental services for one year. For a low annual fee (for each family member), you and your loved ones can receive two dental exams, two dental cleanings, and regularly scheduled X-rays. Additionally, you will receive 15% off any other dental procedures we provide. Contact our Hendricks County office to learn more about this program.

With proper financial planning and dental care provided by Danville Family Dentistry, our Hendricks County patients can keep their smiles beautiful without taking a major hit to their wallets. Contact us to schedule your next appointment.
Disclaimer: The information included in this article is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.