Family Dentistry |2 min read

Don’t Let “LEAT” Destroy Your Smile!

As we all know, there are many ways a smile can get destroyed. Cavities, gum disease and TMJ disorders are the top three that we see at New Paradigm Dentistry. But, a condition known as LEAT has been eating away at your teeth and many folks are not aware of the damages it causes across all ages and genders.

What is LEAT? LEAT is an acronym for Least Expensive Alternative Treatment and is commonly used by your insurance carrier to decline or circumvent the best possible treatment for you.

How Does “LEAT” Affect You?

Insurance companies must collect premiums from their members at a pre-negotiated amount, so the only way an insurance company can make a profit is by either decreasing its expenses or decreasing the amount of payout on claims. In the world of dental insurance, LEAT is commonly used to reduce the benefit paid on a claim and allow the insurance company to make a profit.

Example: You have an abscess on a front tooth. Your dentist recommends either a root canal/crown to save the tooth or an extraction and lose the tooth. You decide on the 1st option.

After the procedure is done and you receive final billing from your insurance company, you find that they have determined that the LEAT for you would be an extraction and they will cover only the cost of this procedure and not the cost of the root canal/crown procedure.

As you can see, your dentist has no control over the financial decisions made by your insurance carrier. This can sometimes be very frustrating for you and your dentist. Only you and your dentist know what is best for you. The insurance company knows what is best for them.

We Want To Help!

LEAT is a common practice among insurance carriers. The relationship between you and your doctor is very personal. Each treatment is custom tailored for you based on a sound understanding of your expectations, goals and realities. At New Paradigm Dentistry we present each of our patients with a complete list of treatment options and caution them about LEAT.

We are working hard to protect the doctor-patient relationship in the face of an ever changing insurance market. As always, our goal is to help our patients keep their teeth and gums strong and beautiful by not letting LEAT destroy their smiles.

Please contact us if your dentist in Millstone, NJ can answer any questions for you or to make a convenient appointment call us at 732-414-1888

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