It’s about this time every year, where you are supposed to do a checklist of things to prepare your house for the changing of the seasons. Checking the gutters, changing the furnace filter and replacing batteries in your fire alarms are just a few examples. We think this is also a great time of year to do a few things to make sure your dental health is taken care of.

Replace your toothbrush! Similar to replacing your furnace filter, it is time to get a new toothbrush! You should actually do this every 4 - 6 months to make sure you have the best tools to properly care for your teeth.
Eliminate one bad habit or start a good one. This is a great time of year to pick ONE thing that you know you need to work on and do it. Whether it is drinking less soda, flossing every day or eliminating sugary snacks throughout the day, start it now. If we begin implementing this now, we should have a good foundation to stay strong with this habit throughout the holiday season, which can be challenging.
Drink more water! We know pumpkin lattes are delicious, but be sure you are drinking water throughout the day to rinse your teeth of sugar and acid. In addition, as it gets colder and drier outside, we need more water!
Check your insurance benefits. This is the time of year to see what you still have remaining in your dental insurance benefits so that you can maximize them. If you have been holding off on something, do it now, before the chaos of the holidays. Even if you don’t have benefits left, if you need dental treatment you should work out a way to get that done so that your mouth is in good health as the holidays approach.

Use this time of year to get yourself prepared for the holidays, make the most of your dental benefits and set good oral hygiene habits!

Happy New Year!

We're already a full week in, can you believe it?

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of an often overlooked benefit of the new year. In most cases, a new year also means a new benefit year for your insurance. Now, this isn't always the truth, as some dental insurance plans start throughout the year, but most of them begin fresh January first.

What does that mean to you?

Well, more important than anything else, it means that your maximum benefit is renewed- so you have that money set aside again to start or finish dental treatment that you didn't do last year. This doesn't mean that you won't have a portion due at the time of treatment, because most insurances only pay a percentage of the treatment done, but it does mean that you will have financial help in getting your treatment completed.

We recommend getting familiar with what your insurance maximum is, if you owe a deductible first and how much they will cover for various dental treatments. Remember that sometimes your preventative work, such as cleanings and exams, doesn't even come out of your maximum benefit. And, at this time of year, we should all be getting our teeth cleaned and checked.

With the start of a new year and renewed benefits, it's a great time to make a plan to take care of yourself, starting with your teeth. You smile with them, eat with them and talk with them. Let's make sure we are taking care of them too. Maximize your insurance by knowing what you have available and let us help you to get the dental treatment you need.

Have a GREAT 2017 and don't forget to keep on #SharingSmiles!