After you visit the dentist, they will submit a form to us to receive payment for that visit. That form is called a “claim.”
Typically, your dentist will submit claims for you. Once the claim is submitted, we then determine which services are covered by your plan and pay our portion to your dentist. Then, we will send you an Explanation of Benefits, or EOB. For more information about EOBs, see How to Read Your EOB.
If you still owe your dentist anything after we pay our share, your dentist will send you a bill directly.
While knowing the status of your dental claim is not necessary, it can be very helpful in understanding how much certain procedures cost. It can also help you to stay on top of your coverage so you can plan for future dental procedures and out-of-pocket costs you might be responsible for.
The easiest way to check the status of a claim is through your MySmile® dashboard.