While it’s always good to confirm with your insurance carrier, a typical dental plan often includes two annual cleanings and exams at little or no cost for each person on the plan. This means if you or someone on your plan hasn’t yet had a second cleaning, it’s a good time to utilize your remaining benefits and schedule before the end of the year.

Terms like “annual maximums” and “deductibles” can often cause confusion. As Delta Dental of Illinois explains, an annual maximum is the maximum amount your plan will pay toward your dental work in a given plan year. This amount can vary depending on the type of plan you have. At the beginning of a new year, your annual maximum resets; any benefit money remaining from the previous year does not roll over. This means if you haven’t yet hit the annual maximum for your plan, there is still benefit money available that you can put toward any needed dental work.

A deductible is the amount you must pay toward dental work before your insurance benefits kick in. This amount also tends to vary by plan. Once you’ve paid your deductible for the year, you don’t have to pay it again until next year. This would be another great reason to schedule an appointment before the year ends.

Whether or not you’ve reached your annual maximum or paid your deductible, there may still be out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment. The amount you owe will depend on the type of insurance plan you have, the type of treatment you receive, and how close you are to reaching your annual maximum or deductible.