Insurance Won’t Cover Dental Implants

I’m not sure what to do. I am losing my teeth and will need to replace them. I wanted to get dental implants, but my insurance won’t cover it. At most, I could afford two of them. This is very discouraging. I don’t just want to get dentures. Are there any options for me?

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

When it comes to dental insurance, they will usually only cover the least expensive option. In your case, that would be dentures. Sometimes, though, you can apply the coverage of dentures toward a better replacement option. In that case, I have a couple of great options for you.

Affordable Dental Implant Options

Snap-on Dentures

A snap on denture, detached
Snap-on Dentures

You mentioned you could afford two dental implants. In that case, snap-on dentures are a good option. These only require two implants and will secure a denture onto your jawbone. Then, as you’re able you can get more implants to secure them further. The implants you place will help keep your jawbone safe from deterioration, a process known as facial collapse.

Implant Overdentures

Implant overdentures illustration
Implant overdentures

If your insurance will allow you to apply the coverage of dentures to a better replacement, you could get implant overdentures. These require four to six dental implants but will completely secure your dentures to your jawbone. Obviously, the more implants you have the better.

The Danger of Price Shopping

Be careful not to just go with the cheapest dentist. This is a dangerous mistake many patients looking for affordable dental implants make. It takes a significant amount of post-doctoral training to do such an advanced procedure correctly. If you get an experienced dentist who has cheap prices to get the practice, you may end up with serious problems which cost you a fortune.

Infections and other issues which lead to dental implant failure can destroy both your jaw and your bank account. It’s better to pay a little more than to get a cheap dentist who causes you massive medical problems.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.