Use Your Family Dental Benefits Regularly

Taking care of your kids’ teeth is an investment in their long-term health and well being. Establishing good brushings, flossing and rinsing habits even before their baby teeth come in is a great start. Regular visits to your dental professional are equally important, both to establish the habit of good family dental health and to catch problems before they become big.

For most family dental plans, an eligible dependent is covered up to the age of 19, or if the child is a full-time student, he or she may be covered up to the age of 25 if they are living at home and depend upon you for financial support. An eligible dependent is considered a natural-born child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, or a grandchild whom you support financially.

Read your benefits carefully to make sure you are covered. If you have a situation which is not addressed in the benefits book or on the insurance company’s web site, call your insurance company to ask specific questions. You don’t want to find that someone whom you consider to be a member of your family is not covered by your family dental benefits.

Domestic partners are often included in the family dental benefits, as well as court-ordered insurance for an ex-spouse. The flexibility of these family dental plans is amazing.

Here are some important points to consider that will make family dental a manageable but important priority around your home.

• Toddlers and preschoolers develop cavities for a wide variety of reasons. Did you know your child’s baby teeth can get cavities before they even erupt? Sugary juice drinks or propping the baby up with a bottle are all very bad for a child’s teeth.
• Children who take chewable vitamins should be seen by the dentist twice a year. Even if these pills don’t contain sugar, particles can get caught in the teeth unless your child drinks a glass of water immediately after chewing the supplement.
• Children who are under the long-term care of a physician and often take chewable or liquid medicines for chronic conditions are especially vulnerable to tooth decay. Let your dentist know about all medications your child is taking.
• If you are the lucky parent of a teenager or two, be aware that one of the agents used in tetracycline, a medication used for acne treatment, can discolor teeth and the underlying bone.
• It’s hard to believe, but each year kids miss out on 51 million hours of school due to dental-related illnesses. It’s no fun staying home from school if you’re actually sick! Parents lose time at work, too, because they stay home with their kids.
• Fluoride treatments are recommended for kids, even if you live in a community with fluoridated water. Regular checkups and dental sealants are all components of good dental health and should be covered under your family dental insurance plan.

Remember, it’s better to prevent a cavity than to pay good money to have one filled. Brush, floss, rinse, and visit your dentist regularly!