Coverage for Dentures
People with missing teeth could go through the restorative procedure of getting a denture, which “is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues,” look similar to their “natural teeth,” and is usually cheaper than dental implants (Braden; “Dental Health and Dentures” 2016, 1–2; Nowak 2019). People with some missing teeth can get a partial denture, while which costs $300 to $5,000 per plate and $600 to $10,000 for the whole set (“Dental Health and Dentures” 2016, 1; Nowak 2019). People without any teeth can get a complete denture, which costs $300 to $5,000 per plate and $600 to $10,000 for the whole set (“Dental Health and Dentures” 2016, 1; Nowak 2019). People can also get immediate dentures right after undergoing other treatments needed to place dentures in their mouth (Nowak 2019). However, due to this denture’s inferior quality, immediate dentures should be used temporarily before getting partial or complete dentures (Nowak 2019). In addition to dentures, people have to pay for “pre-denture work,” such as extractions and alveoloplasty, which is “a surgery to reshape the jawline that helps reduce other complications,” and maintenance afterwards, such as regularly relining the dentures (Braden; Nowak 2019). Fortunately, people can utilize their dental coverage for these dentures.
They can find coverage for dentures from a variety of sources. For dental insurance policies that include benefits for dentures, they may cover dentures as a major procedure for 50% of the price (Braden). However, beneficiaries may have to wait six to 12 months or even two years before receiving benefits for their dentures (Danielsson 2018). The annual maximums of a dental insurance policy can also affect the amount of coverage they receive (Danielsson 2018). People that have their employer’s dental insurance with “low monthly costs” may have “little to no coverage for restorative procedures,” including getting dentures (Danielsson 2018). Other people can also find coverage for dentures via Medicaid (Nowak 2019). However, not all state Medicaid programs provide coverage for dentures (Murphy 2019). Fortunately, Medicaid and Medicare, which does not include benefits for dentures, may cover “the associated costs of getting dentures,” such as extractions (Murphy 2019). Also, instead of insurance, people can enroll into a dental discount plan, which has an annual fee, but no limits or deductibles, in order to get reduced prices for dentures (Murphy 2019).
Depending on their needs, people must pay a hefty price for dentures. On top of these costs for them, people also have to pay for procedures, such as extractions and alveoloplasty, before getting dentures and pay for maintaining them afterwards. People can keep all of these costs down with dental insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and discount plans.
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