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Sat 2 Dec, 2006 11:24 am
Are dental implants really worth a cost of $1000-$3000 per tooth?
With many individuals now living well into their 90s, shouldn't health insurance be covering at least a portion of the cost of this type of dental work?
Implants are elective procedures. There are a number of far less costly options, such as dentures, removable bridges, caps and permanent bridges. I really don't see why health insurance should pay for them, unless a policy is offered that would pay a part of the total cost, in line with what the insurance would pay for the more economical procedures.
That's like saying insurance should pay for face lifts, boob jobs, tummy tucks and botox. I agree with Phoenix.
I disagree. It should be handled on a case-by-case basis.
My 12 year old son, for instance, will require a couple of implants in the next few years due to the fact that he is missing two permanent teeth. They just didn't grow. Without implants, the other teeth will shift positions and cause further problems for him in the future. Problems that insurance would cover, to be sure, but it would cost the insurance company less to pay for implants to begin with.
Dental implants are not necessarily comparable to cosmetic surgery.
Eva- In the case of your son, the implants are necessary for a medical reason. There are cases where tummy tucks and breast reductions will be paid for by insurance, if a medical necessity can be shown. In thEse cases, the procedures were NOT for cosmetic purposes.
The way Miller couched the thread, the implication was that implants should be covered simply because people are living longer. THAT is not a medical reason for insurance companies laying out a great deal of money, when other options are available.
I worked with a woman who, after searching for years, found a doctor willing to perform her nose job and claim that it was done for medical purposes.
Years ago, I had to have a deviated septum operation. When I spoke to the doctor, I asked him if, while he was at it, would he thin my nose out a bit?
He answered that he did "inside jobs, not outside jobs". He also said that a good part of his practice was correcting cosmetic nosejobs where the patient may have looked better, but the breathing was worse. Ah, the price of beauty!
Eva wrote:I disagree. It should be handled on a case-by-case basis.
My 12 year old son, for instance, will require a couple of implants in the next few years due to the fact that he is missing two permanent teeth. They just didn't grow. Without implants, the other teeth will shift positions and cause further problems for him in the future. Problems that insurance would cover, to be sure, but it would cost the insurance company less to pay for implants to begin with.
Dental implants are not necessarily comparable to cosmetic surgery.
I agree that in may cases they may be medically necessary. By the way, most dentists advise against getting dentures, if few teeth are not in good condition.
Phoenix32890 wrote:
The way Miller couched the thread, the implication was that implants should be covered simply because people are living longer. THAT is not a medical reason for insurance companies laying out a great deal of money, when other options are available.[/color][/b]
But are those options really good ones, if many individuals aged 65 will now live well into their 90s?
Are dentures really the way to go, if you can afford to do otherwise?
How can any capping be permanent, when the tooth can rot under the cap?
I'm wondering what can be done with a tooth that has had a root canal and is now capped, but is showing an infection in the gum surrounding the tooth, if the infection is actually in the root canal area.
If the tooth can be saved, that's one thing. However, if not then
an implant might have to be done, since it's an end tooth.
Who says insurance won't pay? My wife is getting some implants, and our dental insurance is paying for the first $1250 of her dental expenses this year, like every year, without regard to whether the work is for implants, for fillings, or for something else. Of course, this is the tiniest fraction of what implants cost. I pick up the rest of the tab.
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