Dental Insurance With Orthodontic Coverage – What Should I Look For?
As most dental treatments are expensive and many people do need treatment to correct a variety of teeth related problems it is essential that you have dental insurance with orthodontic coverage. Most children and students need some kind of dental treatment, as they grow older. Many need braces to correct various bite problems, jaw corrections and alignment of teeth, some have overcrowding of teeth and others have large gaps which need to set right before they enter adulthood. Having dental insurance can help cover at least a part of huge dental bills. No, dental insurance will cover the entire cost of any treatment whether it is braces or root canal.
Dental insurance will usually cover routine dental cleanings, x rays, root canals, filling cavities and usually braces. How much of each treatment is covered is usually laid out in the documents of the dental plan you are opting for. Different types of dental treatment of covered differently. For example a braces treatment that is considered essential for good oral health may be covered up to 50 percent but a cosmetic braces treatment may qualify for only 10 percent of the treatment charges.
Before you opt for dental insurance with orthodontic coverage here are some vital points to consider
- 1. Is the dental insurance open panel insurance? An open panel allows patients to choose their own dentist
- 2. Are you and your dentist allowed to choose what treatment is best for you? Or do you have to go by LEAT – least expensive alternative treatment?
- 3. Does your insurance cover emergencies?
- 4. What is extent and amount to which emergencies are covered?
- 5. Does it cover diagnostic and maintenance treatment? Like regular dentist visits, routine x-rays and dental cleanings?
- 6. Does your insurance cover major procedures like implants, dentures and braces? If they do cover how much percentage is paid for by the insurance? (If you need higher coverage you will need to pay higher premiums)
- 7. If you need specialist treatment for any reason will your plan cover it? Again do you have choice or pick a specialist from their list of specialists?
The above questions should help you under dental insurance a little better and you can wade through the technical jargon without getting completely confused. Companies that sell dental cover include Aetna, Humana and Delta. They offer personal, group or student PPO and HMO plans.
There are basically two types of dental insurance plans. One is the fee-for-service plan where every time you visit the dentist and seek treatment the insurance reimburses you on each service availed.
PPO and DHMO plans on the other hand are managed care plans. In the PPO plans the patients have to pick from a panel of preferred providers. If you go to a dentist out side this list then you will be penalized by having to pay extra in out of pocket charges. DHMO or HMO is the least expensive of the plans here dentists are rewarding for keeping the patients in good health without need for emergency treatment. The plan pays a fixed fee to the dentist for providing certain types of treatment to the patients.
Whatever the plan you pick check whether you are getting dental insurance with orthodontic coverage i.e dental cover that pays for braces at least partly.
Orthodontics Invisible Braces – Invisalign, Ceramic Braces, Lingual Braces
There are many orthodontic invisible braces options available for people who need to correct their orthodontic problems. A few decades ago metallic braces was the only option for correcting imperfect teeth, misaligned, crooked and teeth with gaps, overcrowded teeth and those with bite problems. People who hated to be seen with metal in their mouth tried to avoid wearing braces and suffered with their various orthodontic problems.
In order to re-align teeth it is important to apply a gentle and sustained pressure on the teeth to force them to come to their proper places. In the absence of such pressure the teeth won’t budge from their natural positions. Over the years the metallic braces themselves have improved and become sleeker and comfortable to wear. Many alternatives to standard metallic braces have also developed. These options include the Invisalign, Ceramic Braces and Lingual Braces.
Invisalign – These are invisible braces that come in the form trays customized to your particular needs. It is highly unlikely that anyone will notice you are wearing these braces unless they look closely into your mouth. Invisalign are highly popular choice as adult braces. It is important that you wear these removable braces for at least recommended number of hours for it to be effective. Forgetting to wear them or leaving long gaps in between defeats the purpose of the braces.
Metal braces use metal wires and screws to apply pressure while in Invisalign the teeth are enclosed in a plastic tray. The plastic tray is molded to fit the shape of your mouth.
Lingual Braces – Lingual braces are mounted behind the teeth and completely invisible from the front. These are metallic brackets that mounted at the back of each tooth. Lingual braces are customized for each patient. Dentists need to be specially trained to mount these braces on patient’s teeth. Also, each bracket is cemented to the back of the teeth. Lingual braces are similar to standard braces in terms of their action and results. They take a little longer and need special cleanings every few weeks to prevent plaque build up. Food particles may get stuck in the braces on the back of the teeth and you may not know it. Dental cleanings are very important to prevent infections and cavities.
Ceramic Braces – Ceramic or tooth colored braces are used for people who hate to wear metal braces. These ceramic brackets blend with the natural color of teeth and are invisible when seen from distance. The brackets are made of ceramic or hard plastic when it is known as clear braces. These are similar to metal braces in all other respects. The bands are clear plastic bands. These bands, which are replaced every month, can get stained when eating different foods. It is important to brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush twice a day to keep your ceramic braces looking like your natural tooth.
There are other braces like brackets made of hard plastic called clear braces and another brand known as ICE braces. When made of good quality materials the braces are good to use. But the low quality plastic braces stain easily and that defeats the purpose of wearing braces that don’t show as these brackets clearly show up after staining.
Dental Plan For Braces – Will My Treatment For Braces Be Covered?
Strictly speaking if you consider braces as purely cosmetic appliance for treating malocclusions and misalignments then it will not be covered under insurance. But, dental plan for braces exist as it is considered important to correct orthodontic problems like – teeth that are crowded together, teeth with wide gaps in between, when upper teeth and lower teeth do not meet when you keep your mouth normally closed and when teeth are really crooked. According to dentists these problems can get aggravated as children grow into adulthood and need early correction. Braces are used to correct these problems. Some people have severe problems where jaw surgery, teeth removal and other corrective surgery is needed along with braces. It is important for these people to have some dental plan to cover the huge expenses.
Many people need braces to fix their teeth for appearance or to correct their biting problem. Braces are important for some people in order to have better health and also fix their speech problems. If you have more than one child who needs braces then you will be looking a huge dental braces bill in the future. So, it is important to invest in a good dental plan that will cover braces early in the life of the children.
Dental insurance will pay for “usual, customary and reasonable” (UCR) treatment. Each plan provider determines what is usual, customary and reasonable. Also, different plans have different terms and conditions based on the premiums you pay. Braces in such severe cases may be considered as UCR and treatment may be covered to the maximum amount specified in the dental plan that you have bought.
There are different types of dental insurance plans available. One is DR or fee-for-service plan. In this type of plan you are free to go to any dentist and seek any treatment. DR or direct reimbursement fee-for-service dental insurance plan. Employers will reimburse a certain amount of the cost incurred. It is a self-paid plan and there is no pressure on the employer to choose the best plan for whole lot of people. There is no cost incurred by the employer if employee seeks no treatment.
Other types of dental plans include PPO and DHMO. PPO is preferred plan provider plan and allows the patients to go only a specified list of dentists maintained by the plan provider. If you avail services from dentists outside this list you will be penalized and only a smaller percentage of your charges will be reimbursed. In Dental Health Maintenance Organizations the provider pays dentists a fixed fee to keep the patients in good health.
Coming dental insurance for braces there a few companies that offer orthodontic coverage like Delta Dental which offer a specific plan for braces and another is the Careington Dental Plan another well-know dental insurance provider they also offer braces coverage plans. Other companies that offer good dental plans for braces include Aetna and Humana.
You need to buy a dental plan for braces early in your child’ life. Insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. So, make sure you buy your braces insurance a good many years before they start showing signs of needing any intervention to correct dental problems needing braces.
Cost Of Dental Braces – Types Of Braces And Their Costs
Cost of dental braces varies depending of the type of braces you choose and the nature of your problems that need correction. Major problems, which need deeper corrections and lot of involvement of the dentist in the treatment procedures, will cost higher amounts than simple corrections, which need minimal intervention by the dentist. Young teens and students are the biggest chunk of the population who undergo braces treatment. They are at an age when permanent teeth are all out and final alignment of teeth is known. It is also the time when treatment is most effective as the jaw is still malleable to external pressure.
Braces work by applying gentle pressure on the teeth and slowly nudge them to move and reposition them to the required places. The braces are metal brackets that are mounted on the teeth. The arch wire is then threaded through the brackets to provide the force necessary to realign the teeth. Elastic bands are used to keep the whole appliance under slight tension. These bands are changed often.
Standard braces are made of stainless steel. Technology has improved braces to make them sleeker, more effective and more comfortable to wear. Still, metallic braces are not favored by a large number of American adults who hate to be branded as metal mouth by their peers. The metallic smile is not every one’s cup of tea. For these people other new types of braces have come into the market.
Ceramic braces are tooth-colored braces that blend in with the teeth. The ligatures or elastic bands are also colorless. These ceramic braces are popular as they are strong and effective as braces as well as aesthetically appealing. Sometimes the ligatures can get stained if you eat and drink food items like coffee, tea, and berries and smoke cigarettes. These bands are replaced during the monthly visits to the dentist. But, if you had planned to keep your braces treatment secret then it would not be possible if the ligature gets stained. So, avoid these types of foods and use an electric toothbrush to clean your teeth twice daily with regular toothpaste. Cost of ceramic dental braces is higher than metallic braces. The costs can be higher by $500 dollars. These highers costs are independent of dentist fees. Also, the treatment period is slightly higher with ceramic braces. You will need more follow up visits than standard braces and the removal of the ceramic braces is a little more tough as the ceramic or clear plastic braces can become brittle over time.
There are other cosmetic braces available like Invisalign. These are invisible trays that have to worn by the patient in order for it correct the imperfection in teeth. As these are removable trays patients don’t wear them as much as they should and sometimes they forget altogether. The whole treatment can become ineffective and waste. So, if you plan on going for removable braces known as retainers then you have to be committed to wearing them whether you like it or not for the required number of hours. The cost of dental braces is higher for these than other types of braces as they are customized for each individual patient.
Cosmetic Dental Insurance – Is There A Insurance For Cosmetic Procedures
Cosmetic dental insurance or insurance for cosmetic procedures is not specifically available though some companies offer orthodontic dental coverage. Insurance is mainly meant for life-threatening conditions and for major illnesses where you can’t afford treatment costs. It is meant for medical emergencies that we can’t plan for in life. For routine conditions and routine treatment most insurance companies make provision for a certain amount of annual limit. When it comes dental insurance very few conditions are life threatening but most treatment procedures are highly expensive. So, people opt for dental insurance for self or for employees of a small business in order to get at least part of their expenses covered in the future.
Braces, dental implants, correcting the misaligned teeth, professional tooth whitening, crowns, and veneers, bonding can all be considered cosmetic in some respects. They may not be needed to keep you in good health. Dental insurance places a limit on the amount of payout for some of these procedures like braces, implants and veneers. Others like tooth whitening are not even covered.
Usually braces, implants and veneers cases are dealt with individually and the dental administrators verify if a procedure is important for the well being of the person. If the dentist and patient make a case for their procedure the insurance company might approve the maximum limit that is allowed under the plan. But in most cases only a part of the maximum is approved.
If you are undergoing a purely cosmetic procedure it is highly unlikely that you will get a benefit from your dental insurance. There are other options like credit financing where banks and other financial institutions will approve loans to you for undergoing the treatment. You will need to pay it back with interest over a period of time. To be approved for such loans you will have to undergo credit checks. If you have a good credit rating you should be automatically eligible for a loan.
Even dentists themselves offer these sort of dental financing plans where you will them in installments over the course of the treatment. Ask your dentist if they allow such payment plans. It is easier to make small payment over longer period of time than paying everything up front. If you pay in full in the beginning you may qualify for some discounts. Ask your dentist for this and compare quotes with a few dentists before you decide.
Even if you have dental insurance, which cover all types of treatments, they will still not cover dental implants, which are considered cosmetic and experimental. Also, excluded are treatment sought for sports related injuries. Cosmetic and orthodontic treatment also is not covered in most plans unless you specifically buy plans, which have these options. Other medical problems not covered include oral cancer treatment, treatment for severe abscesses, salivary gland treatment. Again dental insurance has maximum limit on how much they will pay for any treatment, annual limits on the payout and type of treatment for every condition should be least expensive alternative treatment (LEAT) option. Remember, cosmetic dental insurance operates on the principle of what is usual, customary and reasonable for a particular treatment.
Low Cost Dental Implants – Is Dental Financing Available For One Day Dental Implants?
Where can I get dental financing as I need $2500 for one day dental implants. Will Credit care help me? Is there a minimum credit rating requirements for getting dental financing from them?
Credit Care is a company that works to help finance things in doctors offices. So, they should be able to help you if you have a reasonable credit rating. They provide financing for dental work like one day dental implants and many dental offices take it. I don’t know if you can get approved with bad credit, but I have seen people get approved that I honestly didn’t think would get approved. Might be worth a try.
Another option is to go through your local welfare office. This option is open for people who are really destitute and can’t afford any dental or medical care without dental financing assistance from the government.
Try to make a payment plan with a good dentist for your one day dental implant. Explain your circumstances to your dentist and ask for deferred payment plan. If you are able to convince them about your ability to repay over a longer period of time they may be willing to take you as a patient.
Another option is to go to a local dental school near you. Find a university near you that has a dental program and find if they will take you as a patient. You can good quality cosmetic dental care but not sure whether they do one day dental implants. Students and supervising professors work on your teeth and the costs work out much cheaper.
The dental schools are cheaper but it’s takes a longer time to all the work done. Find out how you can register and start your treatment. For instance at the Memphis dental school you have to call the school on the first weekday of the month. The whole month’s appointments fill up before 10am that first day so start calling early. The one day dental implant work is top notch and it’s less than half price.
Are All On 4 Dental Implants The Best Option Available To Replace Missing Tooth?
All on 4 dental implants are one of the best options available to help replace lost tooth. People lose teeth due to various reasons – age, disease or accident. Whatever the reason it is possible to get normal “looking” teeth. As long as you have healthy gums you can get all on 4 dental implants that are pretty good substitutes for natural teeth.
All on 4 dental implants perform an important role in life the person who is miserable after losing teeth. It restore their smile, ability to speak and eat comfortably and also gives them back their self-esteem and improves self-confidence. Dental implants science has made rapid progress and recent advances have made dental implants more reliable and easier to integrate with your bones and gum.
Yes, Technology has made all on 4 dental implants more affordable and successful.
As dental implants experts gain experience in treating implant patients they have been able to avoid the problems that lead to implant failure in earlier cases. As more research data and information becomes available almost every day the success rate of the cosmetic dentists in implants placement is also increasing.
More and more dentists are going in for advanced implants training and continue to update their knowledge and gain from experience of others experts in the field. All on 4 dental implants are artificial substitutes for natural tooth roots. The implants – small anchors shaped like screws or cylinders – are placed into the jawbone. Replacement teeth are attached to the part of the implant that projects through the gums. Used for many years, dental implants are effective, natural-looking replacements for missing teeth.
Through a process called osseointegration the all on 4 dental implants becomes part of your jaw over time as the bone heals. Osseointegration happens due to the direct contact between the implant surface (predominately titanium oxide) and the surrounding bone. The union of titanium implant and living jaw bone is the scientific achievement which restores the function of the “tooth-less” jaw to an almost natural state.
You no longer have to hide your smile behind your hand or stop socializing just because of missing tooth. Even if you have gum disease it can be treated and new implants put in after treatment of the problem and this can be done on the same day too with all on 4 dental implants.
How Much Are Dental Implants Approximately?
How much are dental implants? The costs will vary quite a bit depending on where you live, the experience of the dentist, the amount of work needed for you teeth, the importance of the particular tooth and so on.
For example in Texas when you search for the terms how much are dental implants you will usually come up with figures between $1800.00 – 2500.00 and the crown that goes on top of the tooth implant with an abutment kit is about $1200.00 – $2800.00. It really depends on where you live even in Texas. In Dallas, Houston the dental implant cost would be higher whereas in the smaller towns it would be much less expensive. So the total would run you $3000.00 – $5300.00.
How much are dental implants in Boston? That would be around $3000 which includes the cost of the implant and the crown.
On the East coast of the US the abutment and crown will cost anywhere between $1,200-$1,800 and the tooth implant itself will cost anywhere between $1,200 – $2000 per tooth.
How much are dental implants on average? Around $1,500-2,500 USD per tooth without the additional crown. But, depending on your teeth additional costs for things such as a posterior mandible or bone regeneration, sinus elevation, and wide diameter or narrow diameter implants can quickly escalate the costs involved to as much as $15,000 to $30,000 for the complete procedure for the upper or lower jaw.
It really does depend on the tooth. A front tooth or an inportant tooth like a molar will be much more costly than a tooth that is not that “important”.
In Mexico, East Eurpoean countries and India the how much are dental implants is much cheaper than what you will pay in the US. The cost of dental implants can be less than half of what it costs in the US.
How much are dental implants in UK? It will be around £2000. Tooth implants will involves several trips to the dentist over a year or so. They have to screw metal screws into your bone and the gums have to heal before the implant can be fitted.
Make sure your dentists has the required tooth implant experience. Many dentists are doing a years course and then claiming they are qualified dental implant specialists. It takes years of study and practical experience to develop the skills necessary to perform the dental implant procedures correctly. Even then , there is still the chance that the tooth implant may fail if your implant does not integrate into your bone structure, And you will likely not getback back the £2000. It is a risk you take going ahead with the procedure.
In the UK in the NHS you can get tooth implant only if you go to a teaching hospital and there is always a long waiting list for dental implants. A crown on NHS is £189.00 but most dentist only do it privately about £400.00.
An Overview Of All On Four Dental Implants
All on four dental implants are dental implants that are placed on the same day. It is a product of Nobel Biocare. The all on four dental implants is a tapered dental implant system that has been designed to provide primary stability and help in placing accurately. The all on four dental implants has accurate, uniform thread design right upto the apex of the implant and this allows a close and intimate fit into the bone of the jaw.
Also, this design allows for the complete contact between bone and all on four dental implants for its full lenght helping to give greater stability to the implant. The tapered design gives the all on four dental implants the look and feel of an actual tooth.
The Biomet all on four dental implants helps dental surgeons to go for immediate or same day implants. This cuts out the long waiting periods when patients have to wait for months for the dental implant to heal before abutments and crowns can be loaded on to the all on four dental implants.
The new design allows for the all on four dental implants to be placed immediately after bone grafts. It allows for simultaneous grafts and implant placement. The all on four dental implants can be placed immediately after tooth extraction. The advantages of this new design system are that patients no longer have to go around with gaps in their mouth, they don’t need to wait for long to get new teeth, this cuts down on the bone and gum receding and subsequent problems related to that.
The all on four dental implants shape and design promotes head start for bone integration, its domed shape apex prevents any potential damage to nerves or surrounding tissue, tapered design helps it to be placed even when the site location is having roots of adjacent tooth and the thread angles promote better anchoring with the bone which helps in primary stability and accurate placement of the tooth. Thus, making the all on four dental implants a good choice for both dental surgeons and patients for the long term success.
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