Use Your Dental Insurance Before December 31
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Annual maximums reset and FSA dollars expire — here is how to actually use them
If you have dental insurance and have not used much of it this year, you have until December 31 to do so before your annual maximum resets. The same is true for FSA (Flexible Spending Account) dollars — most FSA plans are use-it-or-lose-it. Combined, these create a meaningful December opportunity that many patients miss every year. This post walks through how to think about year-end dental scheduling and what is actually worth booking before the deadlines. From Dr. Aqil Valika at Bliss Dental, St. Charles, IL.
What resets and what expires. Your dental insurance annual maximum (typically $1,000 to $2,500 per person) resets on January 1 — unused benefits do not roll over. If you have used $400 of a $1,500 annual max for routine cleanings, you have $1,100 of unused benefit available before year-end. Your deductible also resets, which means if you have already met it this year, work done in December is at the post-deductible coverage rate; work done in January starts over with the new deductible. FSA dollars typically expire on December 31 (some plans offer a $640 carryover; check your specific plan documents).
Postponed treatment is the natural target. Most patients have at least one or two recommended treatments they have been putting off — a crown that is “watch and wait,” a filling that has been on the to-do list, a cleaning more frequent than 6-month routine for periodontal patients. Year-end is when these get done. Talk to your dentist about: any recommended work from previous visits that has not been done; an extra periodontal maintenance cleaning if you have a gum disease history; new patient comprehensive exam if you have not had one in over a year.
Splitting larger treatment across two plan years. For larger treatment plans (multiple crowns, implants, orthodontics), straddling the December 31 boundary is a real strategy: pay phase 1 in December using this year’s annual max + deductible-already-met; pay phase 2 in January using next year’s annual max + new deductible. This effectively doubles the insurance contribution to your treatment plan. Works well for: implant cases (place the implant in November-December, restore in January); multi-crown cases (do half before year-end); ortho cases (start in December so initial fees are this year, monthly payments next year). For more on financing, see our dental financing page.
FSA spend-down strategies. If you have unused FSA dollars, December is the deadline. Most dental work is FSA-eligible (cleanings, fillings, crowns, implants, orthodontics, TMJ treatment). See our FSA/HSA page for the full eligibility list. Common December FSA strategies: schedule postponed restorative work, start orthodontics, pay for upcoming early-January work in advance (check with your FSA administrator on timing rules).
Booking in November vs. December. November is easier to schedule. By mid-December, year-end appointment slots fill up rapidly — patients who book December 15 often cannot get an actual visit until late January or February, which defeats the purpose. If you want to use year-end benefits, call by mid-November. (630) 549-7916 or use our online scheduler. — Dr. Aqil Valika, Bliss Dental.
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