Every month you pay for dental insurance. If it comes out of your paycheck, you might not even notice...but you do pay for it.

There is a secret to getting the most from your dental coverage. Since we deal with insurance everyday, we know the secret and can share it with you: You are the boss. The insurance company works for you. You pay them to provide you a benefit. You are their customer. They have an agreement with you to reimburse you for dental expenses, and they have to answer to you for how well they do it. We work for you, too. You pay us to take care of your teeth. You are our customer and patient and we have to answer to you for how well we do. But we don't work for the insurance company, and they don't work for us, which means:

• We can't tell you exactly how much your insurance will pay (but because we see so many patients we can give you a pretty good estimate).

• We can't be sure how much of your benefit is left (but we can help you plan your dental work to minimize your costs).

• We can't tell you why your insurance company makes the decisions it does (but we can provide you with all the information you need to find out).

• We can’t be responsible for your insurance claim (but we can bill your insurance as a service to you).

Three things you can do to get the most from your insurance:

1.Talk to your insurance company. Before you come in, give your insurance company a call. Ask them how much benefit you have left, if there are any waiting periods, and how much your plan pays for preventative, basic, and major work.

2.Talk to us. We can schedule treatment to help you avoid going over your benefit. We can help you get a pre-determination letter showing what your insurance pays for treatment options. We can explain the costs and benefits of those options.

3.Ask questions. If something doesn't make sense to you, ask. You are the boss and are entitled to clear answers.

-By Kwin Peterson