Preventive Care
Dental Benefits Expiring December 31? What to Do Now
Most dental plans reset on January 1 and whatever you have not used is gone. Here is how to find out what you have left and what realistically still fits.
By Dr. Prabha Raju, DDS · October 25, 2026 · 5 min read
Every December we see the same thing. A rush of calls in the last two weeks of the month from people who have just realised their dental coverage is about to reset. Some of them we can fit in. Some we cannot, because the calendar runs out. This is the post we would rather you read in October.
What actually resets on January 1
Most private dental plans, the kind that come through an employer, run on a calendar year. Two things reset when the year turns.
- Your annual maximum. This is the ceiling on what the plan will pay toward your care in a year, commonly between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars. Whatever you have not used does not carry forward. It is simply gone on January 1.
- Your deductible. This is the amount you pay before the plan starts contributing. If you have already met it this year, you have met it. In January you start again from zero.
Put together, that means treatment done in December can cost you noticeably less out of pocket than the identical treatment done in January, even though nothing about the treatment itself has changed.
This does not apply to everyone
Worth saying plainly, because a lot of year end reminders imply that everybody is losing something. Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan do not work on an annual maximum that expires, and neither does Medicare in the way private dental plans do. If that is your coverage, nothing is running out on December 31 and there is no reason to hurry on that account.
If you are not certain which you have, that is a normal thing not to know. Call us with your card and we will tell you.
How to find out what you have left
Three options, in order of how long they take:
- Call us at (810) 715-3368 with your insurance card in hand. The front desk will check your plan for you. You do not need an appointment just to ask.
- Log in to your insurer's website, where the remaining benefit is usually on the member dashboard.
- Call the member services number on the back of your card and ask what is left of your annual maximum for the year.
What usually still fits before December 31
It depends how much of the year is left when you ask, but as a rough guide:
- Cleanings and exams. If you are due or overdue, this is the easiest thing to put the benefit toward, and most plans cover preventive visits at or close to full.
- Fillings. Usually one visit.
- Crowns and root canals. These normally run to two visits a couple of weeks apart, so late November is about the practical cut off for comfort.
- Implants and larger reconstruction. These span months rather than weeks. What often makes sense is starting now, using this year's maximum for the first stage, and letting the next stage fall into the new year against a fresh maximum.
That last point is the one people miss. Splitting a large treatment plan across two calendar years can draw on two annual maximums instead of one.
If you have an FSA, it is on the same clock
A flexible spending account through your employer usually has to be spent by the end of the plan year, and dental care is an eligible expense. Some plans allow a small carryover or a short grace period into the new year, so check yours. Where they do not, money sitting in the account on December 31 goes back to the employer.
The honest version
None of this is a reason to have treatment you do not need. We are not going to find you work in order to use up a benefit, and you should be wary of any practice that does. What it is a reason to do is get the thing you already know about seen to, while the plan is still paying its share.
If you have been putting off a cleaning, if a filling has been on the list since summer, or if you have been meaning to ask about a crown or an implant, now is the right time to pick up the phone. Call (810) 715-3368 or request an appointment online. We are at 1024 N. Genesee Rd in Burton, and new patients from Burton, Flint, Davison and across Genesee County are welcome.
Questions patients ask us
In almost all cases, no. The annual maximum resets on January 1 and whatever you did not use is lost.
It is the most your plan will pay toward your care in one year, often somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars. Anything above it is your responsibility.
Yes. Dental treatment is an eligible expense for a flexible spending account, and most FSAs have to be used by the end of the plan year.
No. Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan do not carry an annual maximum that resets the way private plans do.
It depends what it is. A cleaning or a filling usually still fits. A crown needs two visits a few weeks apart. Call us and we will tell you honestly what is realistic.
Have a question about your smile? Ask a Burton dentist who listens.
Tender Dental Care welcomes new patients from Burton, Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison and all of Genesee County. Request a visit online or call and a real person will answer during office hours.
About the author
Dr. Prabha Raju, DDS
Dr. Raju has practiced dentistry in Burton, Michigan since 1997, with advanced training in implants, sedation, laser dentistry and Invisalign.
Meet Dr. Raju →Tender Dental Care, 1024 N. Genesee Rd, Burton, MI 48509. Serving Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison, Flushing, Swartz Creek, Fenton and Genesee County. This article is general information, not a diagnosis; please see a dentist for advice about your own mouth.
