From routine checkups to tooth-saving restorative care, your dental insurance benefits can help make maintaining and improving your smile significantly more cost-effective. But can your benefits also be applied to orthodontic treatment? It’s a question many patients ask! To find out the answer, keep reading!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Orthodontic Treatment?
Since dental plans vary, it’s important to take a look at the fine print on your policy. With that said, many providers cover a portion of orthodontic treatment! However, this benefit works a bit differently than the traditional 100-80-50 structure. To begin, most patients have a lifetime maximum allotted to braces, which does not renew once used. Secondly, many plans pay up to 50% of that amount. For example, if your orthodontic treatment costs $5,000 and your lifetime maximum is $3,000, then your insurance will likely cover $2,500.
How to Find Out If Your Benefits Cover Braces?
Since orthodontic benefits work a bit differently than your preventive and restorative ones, it’s important to be extremely familiar with your coverage. One of the best things to do is review the fine print on your dental plan and call member services if you have any trouble along the way. Otherwise, you can talk to your orthodontic team directly! They have years (sometimes decades!) of experience helping patients understand and maximize their benefits, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
What If You Don’t Have Dental Insurance?
If you don’t have dental insurance or your provider doesn’t cover orthodontic treatment, it’s okay – there are other options. Many orthodontists offer periodic specials, like a complimentary consultation, which is designed to help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. There are also other options, like flexible financing, which is designed to break down your payments into manageable, monthly chunks.
If you have dental insurance, then it’s definitely worth learning more about your benefits before starting your orthodontic treatment. That way, you can utilize your coverage while simultaneously reducing your out-of-pocket expenses!
About the Practice
For our team at Simply Orthodontics, braces are a part of our everyday life. However, that’s typically not the case for patients when they first come to see us. So, it’s natural for them to have a lot of questions! That’s why we’re here to help, from creating personalized treatment plans to navigating the financial side of your care. If you have a question about dental insurance, would like to learn about our latest specials, or simply want to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to visit our website or call (508) 435-1200.