Sunday, December 26, 2010

Is there any dental insurance that covers implants in the U.S.?

I am 57 and have always had poor teeth. For years I was a single mom and could not afford dental care so now my teeth are really bad. I took a loan from my 403(b) seven years ago and got two MAJOR bridges (4 tooth and 5 tooth) on the top. Two months ago, the crown on the tooth next to one of these bridges ( on one of the front four teeth on top) broke...and the remaining tooth has too little left to do a buildup...so the crown can not be glued back on. I do not want a removable tooth in the front here...so, I should have an implant...but, the dentist I went to insisted on checking out my entire mouth rather than just doing this one implant. He has given me optional treatments for the top and bottom of my mouth ranging from a low of $15,500 to a high of $38,000 for this work. Wouldn't it be nice if I had the money to do this??? I've considered going to Mexico or some other country where it would be less expensive to have the work done...but, this extensive work would have to be done over a year and a half to two years....it's not just a "one-time" appointment sort of thing. I want to get a "second opinion"....but, I DO have dental insurance that will cover a portion of the cost for new bridges, crowns or prosthetics if some or all of this is necessary and it's really difficult to find another dentist nearby that accepts my same insurance...plus...implants are NOT covered on the insurance I now have at all. Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks.
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There are some dental insurance that covers implants. Metlife will cover implants up to $1100.00 per year so they cover about 65% of the cost. I'm sure all employer dental plans would cover implants but most companies don't want to include that coverage. They would rather provide preventative care and minor work like crowns, bridges, etc. From your question it sounds like you're trying to find a supplemental plan to cover implants. They probably don't exist or if they do they're probably expensive and don't cover the full amount. From what you describe of your problem the bridge could probably be fixed by having the bad tooth replaced with an implant post to secure the bridge. It may require another post on the opposite side. You should look for a dentist who will fix what you have and will accept the fact that you don't have a lot of money. See if you can find a dental referral service in your area and talk to them. They may be able to point you to a dentist who specializes in that type of work. Good Luck.
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