Dental Insurance and
Implants
You could easily become frustrated with
insurance coverage for dental implants if you expect too much
from the insurance company. But if you remember that the company is
in business to make money, you will find the issue easier to deal
with. The dental insurance company
needs to compete, and it does this by trying to offer a satisfactory
plan to the employer for a competitive price. Since dental implants
are not needed by a majority of people, there isn't much incentive
for the company to offer generous coverage. It's hard to sell that
kind of plan to an employer. What they
do is, when you are missing teeth, they will pay benefits for the
least expensive treatment option. So, let's say you're
missing several teeth on the
upper arch. The least expensive way to treat that would be with a
removable partial denture.
Well, you don't want that because it means you have to wear hardware
in your mouth, and it moves when you chew, and it is hard on the
teeth it attaches to. You feel they should cover dental implants
because that is clearly a superior treatment. But they aren't a
charitable organization and what is "best" for you isn't their
concern. They're in business to make money for their shareholders,
and it doesn't make sense for them to pay thousands of dollars for a
treatment when they can pay a few hundred.
So if you can move away from the entitlement
mentality and into the "you get what you pay for" mentality, you'll
be much less frustrated and will be content for any help you can get
from your dental insurance for implants.
Plus, be aware that all dental insurance plans
will have an annual cap on the amount they will pay, and that this
annual cap is set pretty low--around one or two thousand dollars.
Again, this is to keep the plan economical for the employer.
Thus, since your dental implant costs will be
mostly or all out-of-pocket, you need to be especially careful about
your choice of an implant dentist. Since insurance won't pick up the
bill if mistakes are made, make sure your dentist is one who will do
it right the first time. See our page about choosing the
best implant dentist for tips.Related information:
Return to the frequent questions page.
What is a dental implant? / How Long Do Dental Implants Last? / Cost of Dental Implants / Insurance and Dental Implants / Work for Me / Too Old for Dental Implants? / Advantages / Feel Like / Esthetics / Function / Pain / Time Required / Post-Operative / Maintenance |
