Are you worried about the cost of dental implants? This tooth replacement option has many unique benefits that make it worth the investment, but at the same time, it does come at a higher price compared to traditional bridges and dentures. Your first thought for making the treatment more affordable may be to use your dental insurance coverage, but is this really an option? Here’s the basics of what patients need to know when it comes to dental insurance and dental implants.
How Does Dental Insurance Work?
When you have a dental insurance plan, your chosen insurance company will help pay for a wide variety of dental treatments in exchange for a premium. Many insurance carriers will offer 100% coverage for preventive care, 80% coverage for basic restorative care, and 50% coverage for more complex restorative care. You can typically expect your plan to come with an annual maximum, which is the highest amount that your insurance company is willing to pay for dental procedures of any kind within a given year.
Will Dental Insurance Pay for Dental Implants?
Some insurance companies do not see dental implants as medically necessary and therefore will not pay for them. This isn’t necessarily the case for every insurance company, though, so it’s well worth your while to review your plan to confirm what is and isn’t covered.
Even if your insurance plan won’t help pay for the actual dental implants, that doesn’t mean that it can’t help you save money on other parts of the implant process. Some plans will provide at least partial coverage for the final prosthesis (i.e., the crown, bridge, or denture that will be attached to the implant posts) or certain preliminary treatments.
Is There Any Other Way to Make Dental Implants More Affordable?
It’s important to note that even if your dental insurance plan doesn’t cover dental implants, you still have the option of applying for financing through CareCredit. Instead of paying the full cost of your care all at once, you can break it up into more manageable monthly installments. There are multiple CareCredit plans to choose from, and each one comes with little to no interest to worry about.
Before you commit to getting dental implants, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place for covering the cost of your care, whether that means taking advantage of your dental insurance or applying for financing. Talk to your dentist to see what they recommend for making your treatment as affordable as possible.
About the Author
Dr. Brian Lavery went to the New Jersey Dental School, which is now known as Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. He has completed over a thousand hours of continuing education, and he has placed hundreds of dental implants. His Mercerville practice, Dr. Brian Lavery Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, accepts a variety of dental insurance plans and gladly takes CareCredit financing. To schedule a dental implant consultation or learn more about your financial options, contact Dr. Lavery by visiting his website or calling (609) 588-5600.