Does Dental Insurance Ever Pay for Cosmetic Dentistry?
When individuals want some cosmetic work done by a Dentist in Flushing NY, they may wonder whether their dental insurance will cover any of the services. The rule of thumb is that the dental procedure must have some particular function aside from a cosmetic purpose for insurance to cover any of the cost. Functional aspects primarily include restoring tooth structure, improving oral health or preventing future oral health issues.
For this reason, a patient seeing a dentist in flushing ny may be able to have some of the cost of dental implants covered by insurance. Although replacing missing teeth with artificial ones has cosmetic purposes, it also has functional aspects. An insurance carrier may question why the patient doesn't simply get less expensive dentures or bridges to replace missing teeth. However, dentists strongly recommend getting implants instead because the metal rods function as teeth roots. That maintains the jawbone, providing essential stimulation to the bone, which prevents it from deteriorating. This is a health-related aspect that insurers take into account. They may be willing to pay for at least half of the cost.
Dentists also advocate for their patients who need to get a full set of dentures or who want bridges to replace a smaller number of missing teeth. They know that without any teeth, a patient's quality of life will suffer greatly and this person may not get adequate nutrition. Even when the person only needs a bridge, a fixed bridge can prevent teeth on either side of the gap from starting to shift into that gap.
A patient who sees a flushing dentist for cosmetic services that don't have a health-related purpose will most likely need to pay for the work out of pocket. Some of those services include teeth whitening, placement of porcelain veneers and crowns, and decorative features such as dental grills. Certain types of invisible removable braces for adults are viewed as cosmetic therapy as well. Although the braces change the alignment of the person's teeth, they aren't designed to have any effect on the bite as traditional orthodontic braces can. These are all considered elective dental treatments that would have no positive effect on the individual's oral health.
A website such as Dentist in Flushing NY provides further information on different types of cosmetic dentistry. Interested individuals can learn more there about the different ways to improve their smile, which can make them feel more confident about their appearance.
