Maximizing Dental Benefits?

[francispanchis]

Do dental benefits usually cover treatments like crowns, implants, or veneers, or are those considered out-of-pocket cosmetic procedures? I’d love some advice on how to make the most of my dental insurance before deciding on treatment.

[griffincollins]

Do dental benefits usually cover treatments like crowns, implants, or veneers, or are those considered out-of-pocket cosmetic procedures? I’d love some advice on how to make the most of my dental insurance before deciding on treatment.

Crowns are usually covered as "major restorative" work since they protect a damaged tooth, but veneers are almost always out-of-pocket because insurance views them as purely cosmetic. I’ve found the best way to maximize benefits is to ask for a "pre-treatment estimate" first, then try to time major work across two calendar years—starting in December and finishing in January—so you can apply two annual maximums to the same procedure.

[wendyporter]

Crowns are usually covered as "major restorative" work since they protect a damaged tooth, but veneers are almost always out-of-pocket because insurance views them as purely cosmetic. I’ve found the best way to maximize benefits is to ask for a "pre-treatment estimate" first, then try to time major work across two calendar years—starting in December and finishing in January—so you can apply two annual maximums to the same procedure.

I spent weeks googling "implant failure rates" and convinced myself I’d be the one-in-a-million case, but my dentist reminded me that we only ever hear the horror stories online while millions of people are out there chewing normally and forgetting they even have one. Once I sat in the chair and realized the prep work was actually the longest part, the surgery itself felt like a breeze compared to the months of anxiety I’d put myself through.