Are Dental Implants Covered By Dental Insurance?

Navigating dental insurance always takes some patience, but when it comes to dental implants, what is normally a minor hassle becomes a complex process—and it takes patients a lot of time to sort out. Unfortunately, there’s no standard answer for whether dental implants are covered by dental insurance, and even when they are covered, there may be a number of limits and loopholes that affect your eligibility. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding Dental Implant Coverage

For starters, some insurance companies will not cover dental implants at all because they consider them a cosmetic procedure. This is unfortunate, since dental implants have a number of significant oral health benefits.

If your dental insurance does cover dental implants, the next step is to figure out exactly what they will pay for. Coverage is determined by the specifications of your plan and your annual maximum. Some possible scenarios include:

• Your dental insurance will only cover any necessary supplemental procedures, such as a tooth extraction or bone grafting, in order to prepare your jaw for dental implant surgery.

• Your dental insurance will cover the crown, bridge, or denture that attaches to your implants, but not the implants themselves.

• Your dental insurance will cover the cost of dental implants, but only if you need them as the result of an injury.

• Your dental insurance will provide you with a reimbursement for dental implants that is equivalent to the cost of a bridge or traditional dentures.

• Your dental insurance will cover the cost of dental implants, but only for teeth that have been lost since you’ve been insured.

In some cases, your medical insurance may cover at least some aspects of your dental implant surgery. If you've lost a tooth and it has resulted in medical problems, your health insurance may be able to help. Health insurance sometimes also covers dental implants required after oral cancer or radiation therapy. If both your health and dental insurance policies cover dental implants, you may be able to combine your benefits to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Rest assured that our team will go the extra mile to maximize your insurance benefits and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Our goal is for you to be able to get the care you need at a cost you can afford.

Making the Cost of Dental Implants Manageable

Because dental implants are a permanent solution for missing teeth that can last a lifetime, the process often takes a few months to complete. If you have a maximum annual cap, we can make the most of your coverage by starting your dental implant process at the end of the year and finishing it at the beginning of the next.

If your dental insurance plan doesn’t cover dental implants or your coverage is insufficient, we can provide financing through CareCredit. Qualified patients are able to finance the cost of their procedure with no interest and low minimum monthly payments.

Learn More About Dental Implants and Dental Insurance

If you’d like to learn more about dental implants and whether your dental insurance will cover the costs involved, contact us today at 516-798-0223 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.