Whether you’re in need of dental implants due to a dental emergency or you simply want to replace your aging dentures, you might be wondering whether or not you can expect any coverage from your dental insurance provider. Below we’ll share a few points about insurance coverage and dental implant; for more information give the Lorton Oral Surgery offices a call at (703) 436-4633 and one of our professional staff will assist.
In short, a dental implant is a type of artificial tooth root that is surgically melded to your jaw bone in order to connect to a replacement tooth or teeth. Dental implants essentially function as ‘anchors’ to allow for a far more stable tooth insertion, especially when compared to dentures.
This is a difficult question and largely comes down to the type of dental insurance coverage that you have with your insurance policy. While some portions of the dental implant process are typically covered in most quality dental insurance plans, many will not provide coverage for the surgical placement of the implant itself. The conditions for which the procedure was required will play a part as well; for example, if you were to require dental implants due to trauma experienced in a car accident, insurance may pick up the full cost of this procedure. If you’re electing to have a dental implant installed as opposed to a denture as a matter of personal preference, they may choose to decline coverage. Dental insurance coverage varies widely from policy to policy.
Note that the amount of reconstructive work and the number of dental implants that you require may enable you to leverage a health insurance policy instead of dental insurance. There are numerous health insurance plans that consider major jaw work to be ‘restoration of normal chewing function’ and thus your dental implants would be covered in this case. Again, this is something that is usually determined on a case by case basis.
It’s important to note that some dental insurance policies treat emergency and elective oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures differently. An emergency procedure is one which must take place and is typically due to some sort of accident; there are numerous plans out there that will cover these treatments. Elective procedures are those which you choose to undergo but are not immediately required. Check with your dental insurance provider to determine if you have emergency coverage, elective coverage or both.
The best way to determine if you have adequate coverage for a dental implant procedure is to give your insurer a call. Checking their website and browsing through your plan information is certainly doable, but most dental insurance policies are full of intricacies and specifics that are better interpreted over the phone.
The Lorton Oral Surgery team is happy to share some tips and advice when it comes to dental insurance and how to cover the cost of your dental implant procedure. Call us today at (703) 436-4633 to book in an appointment; we’ll be happy to share our insight and see how we can be of help.
Blog Lorton VA, Lorton Springfield Dental Implant & Oral Surgery
No comments:
Post a Comment