There is never a better time than the present, meaning 2024 is a great year to improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile using cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening or porcelain veneers. However, will your dental insurance cover cosmetic procedures your dentist could recommend for a smile makeover?

You could be amazed that the answer is yes in particular situations. Read on to learn how you can take full advantage of your dental insurance coverage to improve the appearance of your smile using cosmetic dental procedures.

Cosmetic Dental Procedures at a Glance

Cosmetic dentistry is a special dental procedure that focuses on enhancing or changing the aesthetic appearance of your smile. Cosmetic dental procedures focus on improving your smile's aesthetic appearance instead of treating a certain medical condition. Below are some of the most common cosmetic dental procedures your dentist could recommend if you need a smile makeover:

  • Braces.
  • Reshaping.
  • Dental implant.
  • Whitening.
  • Composite bonding.
  • Bridging.
  • Straightening.
  • Bite reclamation.
  • Inlays and Onlays.
  • Invisalign.

The specific cosmetic dental procedure your dentist will recommend will depend on your needs and the severity of your teeth' discoloration or misalignment.

Common Types of Cosmetic Dental Procedures Covered by Insurance

Unfortunately, if your dental insurance policy only covers medical-related problems, you cannot rely on it to cover cosmetic dental procedures. That means you cannot ask your dental insurance provider to offer coverage for cosmetic dental procedures purely aimed at or directed at improving your physical appearance.

Nonetheless, your dental insurance company could still provide financial assistance for non-eligible cosmetic dentistry procedures if there is a valid medical justification. For example, your dental insurance provider could pay some of the costs if you have an accident or require a cosmetic dental procedure not covered by your plan.

Below is a detailed overview of common cosmetic dental procedures covered by dental insurance:

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a titanium or ceramic screw that your dentist places on your jawbone during an oral surgery procedure to act as tooth roots to support an artificial tooth. Depending on the unique dental cosmetic issue you want to fix, your dentist could restore or improve your smile appearance using a bridge, crown, or dentures.

Aside from being a permanent solution for a severe tooth cavity issue, a dental implant can help protect your jawbone tissues, preventing the loss of more teeth.

While dental implant placement is a restorative procedure, it could also qualify as a cosmetic dental procedure because it helps improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile. However, the extent of coverage you will receive if you need a dental implant will depend on your dental insurance policy.

Routine or Regular Dental Check-Ups

Regular dental check-ups and exams could also be cosmetic because your dentist will clean your teeth during the procedure. In addition to inspecting your teeth for anomalies, your dentist will thoroughly clean your teeth during routine dental check-ups to remove discolorations and stains that you cannot remove with a toothbrush at home.

You are advised to visit your dentist at least twice a year. To track the effectiveness of cosmetic dentistry procedures, your dentist may ask you to schedule routine exams sooner. An average dental check-up appointment could cost you about $280, covering several activities, including dental cleaning, X-rays, and examinations.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are strong, thin shells made of porcelain or composite material custom-made to match the color of your teeth. Since they are tooth-colored and fit over the front surface of your teeth, they can give you the brighter smile you deserve.

Your cosmetic dentist could recommend dental veneers to fix any chips, stains, cracks, or other aesthetic imperfections on your teeth. In other words, dental veneers camouflage the cosmetic flaws you have on your teeth.

Dental veneers are some of the most common cosmetic dental procedures most people who need a smile makeover opt for nowadays. Although they are primarily considered cosmetic dental procedures, certain aspects could make your dental insurance provider offer partial insurance coverage. For example:

  • The procedure can help provide functional benefits such as:
  • Fixing minor teeth misalignment issues.
  • Providing structural support to damaged teeth.
  • You have severe teeth discoloration, especially those that are medically-induced.
  • You have structural damage or trauma caused by an injury.

However, your dentist will not recommend this procedure if any of the following is true:

  • You have extensive gum disease.
  • You have severe cavities and poor oral hygiene habits.
  • You have gum disease.
  • You have severe tooth-crowding.
  • You have severe tooth damage or injury.

If you have any of these issues, your dentist will recommend treating them first before exploring cosmetic dental procedures like veneers.

The particular kind of veneer you select for your smile makeover will determine how much you will pay for the services. Conventional veneers have a ten- to fifteen-year lifespan and can cost anywhere from $925 to $2500 per tooth. The cost of a no-prep veneer ranges from $800 to $2,000, with a lifespan of five to seven years.

It is crucial to remember that most dental insurance policies do not cover veneers. However, some insurance providers could cover the cost of this treatment if the procedure helps protect the health of your tooth.

Root Canal Therapy

Your dentist could recommend root canal therapy to save a severely decayed or damaged tooth. While maintaining and restoring oral and dental health is the main goal of this procedure, some aspects can also help your smile look better. Below are signs that you could be an excellent candidate for root canal therapy:

  • Darkening of the tooth.
  • Severe tooth pain when applying pressure on the tooth or chewing food.
  • Sensitivity to hot, sour, salty, sugary, or cold foods.
  • Swelling of your gums.

Every patient's dental issue is unique, but the root canal therapy process will not change. During the root canal process, your dentist will do the following:

  • Give you an anesthesia injection to numb the skin and nerves around the affected area.
  • Drill a tiny hole in the affected tooth to access the compromised or dead pulp materials (nerves and blood vessels).
  • Use tiny dental instruments to remove the infected or dead pulp materials on the affected tooth.
  • Disinfect the pulp chamber using antibiotics to kill any remaining bacteria.
  • Fill the empty pulp chamber with rubbery and flexible material known as gutta-percha.
  • Seal the repaired tooth using temporary composite filling to strengthen the tooth and prevent bacteria attacks.

Since your tooth remains weakened after root canal therapy, your dentist could recommend a dental crown to strengthen your teeth. The cost of this procedure will depend on how difficult it is to remove vessels and nerves from the canal or pulp chamber of the affected tooth.

Dental Fillings

A dental filling is a common procedure dentists use to improve the aesthetic appearance of decayed or damaged teeth. If you have cavities in your teeth, your dentist could suggest one of the following dental fillings to make them look better:

  • Ceramic.
  • Gold and porcelain fillings.
  • Metal.
  • Glass ionomer cement.
  • Amalgam.
  • Tooth-colored composite resins.

The specific dental filling your dentist will use will depend on the severity of your cavity issue and your cosmetic goals. Dental insurance coverage for dental fillings could vary depending on the following factors:

  • The size of the filling your dentist will require.
  • The specific type of dental filling your dentist will require.
  • Location of the affected tooth.

The cost of dental fillings will depend on the type your dentist recommends. Gold cast and porcelain fillings could cost up to $4500. Although the cost of dental fillings could be high, most dental insurance plans allow coverage because they help protect the affected tooth from further damage, which could be more costly to treat.

Dental Bonding

Also known as teeth bonding, dental bonding is a cosmetic procedure that helps improve the aesthetic appearance of teeth affected by gaps, discolorations, cracks, or chips. Although it is primarily a cosmetic dental procedure, teeth bonding has some aspects that could convince your dental insurance provider to provide coverage for the needed costs.

During a dental bonding procedure, your cosmetic dentist will apply composite resin to the affected tooth and then sculpt and polish it to improve its color, shape, and appearance for a brighter smile. While dental bonding is typically a cosmetic procedure, certain situations could make your dental insurance provider offer you partial insurance coverage. Examples of these situations include:

  1. Medically necessary cases — If your dentist recommends dental bonding for medical reasons like restoring a cracked tooth, your dental insurance provider could consider offering coverage.
  2. Structural issues — If your dentist recommends dental bonding to fix a structural issue on your teeth, like filling a cavity or fixing a chipped tooth, your dental insurance provider could consider offering coverage.
  3. Preventing further damage — Your dental insurance provider could offer coverage for dental bonding if the procedure would help prevent further tooth decay or damage.

Since many dental insurance providers will not offer coverage for dental bonding in some situations, you should speak with your insurer to understand the conditions and terms related to the coverage. If improving the aesthetic appearance of your smile is the main reason for having dental bonding done, then you should be ready to pay for it out of pocket.

In that situation, you should ask your dentist whether he/she offers alternative payment and financing options to clear this procedure's costs without breaking the bank or burdening your friends and relatives.

Factors to Consider When Exploring Available Insurance Options for Cosmetic Dentistry

Below is what you should keep in mind when looking into cosmetic dentistry insurance options for the brighter smile that you deserve:

  1. Preauthorization Requirements

Some cosmetic dental procedures could require preauthorization from a dental insurer before the recommended treatment can start. When you fail to obtain preauthorization, your dental insurer will not cover any cost you will incur for the treatment.

  1. Coverage Limitations

Certain insurance policies have exclusions or limitations on the type of cosmetic procedures they offer coverage. Ensure you consult with your dental insurance provider or review your policy terms and conditions to understand the cosmetic dental procedures it covers and those it does not.

  1. Tax Considerations

A cosmetic dental procedure could qualify for tax deductions if your dentist considers it necessary to treat an underlying dental or oral condition. Ensure you speak with a tax professional to determine whether you are eligible for tax benefits related to your cosmetic dentistry costs.

  1. Alternative Financing Options

There is a high chance that your dental insurance provider will offer alternative financial options if your policy does not cover cosmetic dentistry procedures you would need to improve your smile's appearance. Several dental practices provide alternative financing options to make settling the costs of their services hassle-free.

Bottomline

Cosmetic dentistry procedures can enhance the appearance of your smile and boost your confidence, but understanding your dental insurance options can be challenging. While many dental insurance providers do not offer coverage for most cosmetic dental procedures, exploring your unique policy options and discussing available sentencing alternatives with your dentist is important.

You can make educated decisions about your oral and dental healthcare to achieve the stunning smile you deserve by being aware of the connection between cosmetic dentistry procedures and dental insurance.

Recall that, as mentioned in the previous section, the main goal of cosmetic dentistry is to enhance and change the aesthetic appearance of your smile. That means that even if your dental insurance policy does not cover the costs of these necessary procedures, it is a decision you will never regret making.

Find a Reliable Cosmetic Dentist Near Me

In cosmetic dentistry, enhancing the aesthetic appearance of your smile requires you to carefully weigh several variables, including the costs, the best procedures, and potential insurance coverage.

At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, we provide our patients with expert guidance and exceptional cosmetic dentistry services to help them achieve the smile appearance they deserve. We invite you to call us at 818-701-3010 to discuss your cosmetic dental concerns and available treatment options with our profound dentists.