When You Can't Afford Dental Implants

If you've had teeth removed, you have probably considered having dental implants to replace them. When it's just one or two teeth, paying for implants might not be much of a problem, depending on your financial situation, but paying for an entire mouthful of implants might be cost-prohibitive. If you are struggling to decide how you will pay for your teeth to be replaced after extraction, check out these tips.

Explore Your Dental Insurance Options

If you call your dental insurance company, they will likely tell you that they do not cover implants. In fact, most do not. However, many companies will at least partially cover the crowns that go on top of the implants. This can make a big difference in your total out-of-pocket expense, particularly if you are having more than one implant (and crown) placed.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that if you need a bone graft to help your implants stay in place, your medical insurance might cover it. Ask the insurance coordinator at the dental practice to give you a list of all of the dental codes for the procedures being performed, then call both your dental and medical insurance carriers to find out if any of it can be covered.

Check Into Discount Plans

If a procedure is not covered by your dental insurance, sometimes you can find a dental discount plan that will reduce the cost of that procedure. The idea is that you pay a small amount to join the discount group and, in turn, the dentists participating in that group will give you a discount. This is another time when dental codes will help. When you inquire as to whether the discount plan you have in mind will be worth it, you can look up the codes and what the discounted price is. Also, find out whether your dentist accepts the plan; in some cases, you might have to choose a different dentist to accept the discounted rate.

Combine Dental Implants With Dentures

If you can only afford to have one or two dental implants placed, ask your dentist whether you can combine the implants with dentures. The part of the implant that sits under your gum can actually be used as an abutment for a denture plate to snap into. This gives the dentures some stability and can help prevent bone loss in that area of your mouth. Even better, since you won't have pay for the crown of the implant (which is the part that is visible in your mouth), you might be cutting the price for each implant in half.

If you find that you can't afford your dental work, it's important to let your dentist know. He or she might be able to recommend additional strategies that will allow you to pay for your dental implants and replace your lost teeth. Contact a local dentist, like Christopher L. Schneider, DMD, for more information.