Does Dental Insurance Ever Cover Cosmetic Treatments?

It’s easy to see why dental insurance might help you pay for a filling. Insurance generally covers medically necessary procedures, and untreated cavities can be dangerous for your oral health. But what if you just want to improve the way your smile looks? Does dental insurance cover cosmetic dentistry? The answer might not be as cut-and-dry as you would have first thought. Here’s what you need to know about dental insurance coverage and whether it can help to pay for cosmetic treatments.

What Does Dental Insurance Usually Cover?

Like medical insurance, dental insurance is designed to make getting the care you need easier on your wallet. To that end, most dental plans will only pay for treatments that they deem essential for preserving or improving your oral health.

However, it’s worth mentioning that not all dental treatments qualify for the same level of coverage. While preventive care such as cleanings, exams, and X-rays is typically covered at 100 percent, other restorative procedures like fillings and root canals may only qualify for coverage at 50-80 percent.

Of course, the amount of coverage that your insurance company offers depends on how they classify the treatments in question.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Ever Considered Medically Necessary?

Some treatments, like teeth whitening, obviously only provide aesthetic benefits. Others, however, are not as clear-cut. For example, if a patient’s teeth were injured in an accident and they want them to be fixed up with lifelike results, does that count as purely cosmetic dentistry? No, it blends into restorative dentistry, which is partially covered by insurance.

In fact, many dental treatments have been blurring the lines between cosmetic and restorative dentistry as dental technology has evolved. For instance, dental crowns and fillings used to be made from dark metals. While they healed broken and decayed teeth, they didn’t exactly create natural-looking results.

These days, though, fillings and crowns are often made from ceramic and other materials that are color-matched to a patient’s enamel. In the end, a patient’s smile is made healthier and more attractive at the same time.

Basically, a purely cosmetic dental treatment rarely qualifies for insurance coverage, but it may if it also benefits the patient’s health in some way.

Other Options for Making Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable

Even if your insurance plan doesn’t cover the cosmetic dental treatments you want, you don’t have to break the bank just to attain a more confident smile. Most dental practices have other options for helping their patients make cosmetic dentistry more accessible.

The most common of these is a partnership with CareCredit or another third-party financing company, which can let you divide your treatment costs into low- to no-interest monthly chunks. Some practices also offer in-house payment plans that help you afford cosmetic treatments in addition to your or your family’s regular dental care.

So, does dental insurance cover cosmetic dentistry? Because each smile – and each dental insurance plan – varies widely, you’ll have to talk to your dentist directly to find out if your insurance covers the cosmetic treatment you have in mind. If not, your dentist’s team can explore your options for achieving the results you want in a budget-friendly way!

About the Author

Dr. Steven Kendrick earned his dental doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He is a member of the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Kendrick offers teeth whitening and tooth-colored fillings. We welcome you to contact our team to discuss your dental insurance as it relates to cosmetic treatment. You can make an appointment on our website or call (405) 732-0431.