Cosmetic dental procedures focus on enhancing your teeth' appearance and smile. These types of treatments are not aimed at treating a specific dental condition. Instead, they improve your appearance and boost your confidence. Your dentist could recommend a cosmetic procedure if you feel conscious of your smile, and these procedures include teeth whitening.
Dental implants, dental veneers, Invisalign, crowns, and tooth reshaping, among others. The cost of treatment is a significant factor for individuals seeking cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dental procedures are quite expensive compared to treatment and restorative procedures. Fortunately, some cosmetic procedures may be covered by insurance.
This happens for procedures that offer both treatment and cosmetic benefits. Before undergoing the cosmetic procedure, you can check with your insurance company to ensure the procedure is covered. Additionally, you can check whether your dentist accepts insurance payments. Common cosmetic procedures covered by insurance include:
Dental Implants
Your dentist could recommend dental implants if you have one or more missing teeth. Dental implants are replacement tooth roots surgically placed on the jawbone. This implant acts as an artificial root where the crown or artificial enamel is attached. Common types of dental implants include:
- Endosteal implant. The endosteal implant is made of small titanium screws and alloplastic material, which acts as an artificial tissue graft. Endosteal implants will be surgically inserted into your jawbone and bond with the bone over time.
- Subperiosteal implants. The dentist can place the implant above the bone for individuals with a weak or incompetent jawbone. This type of implant will offer the same level of support as the endosteal option. The dentist can recommend a bone graft if you have severe bone complications before the procedure.
Although dental implants are a great way to restore the appearance and function of your teeth, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure. Your dentist will assess your oral health and jawbone stability before recommending implants. If you have a dental complication, it may need to be resolved before fitting the implants. This increases the success rate of the procedure.
Your dentist will create a customized treatment plan if you are eligible for dental implant treatment. This plan will address your specific needs. The dental implant will be surgically placed into the bone socket for the missing tooth. The bone will then heal and grow around the implant.
After healing, the dentist will attach an abutment or crown to replace the missing tooth. The crown will be custom-made to mimic the color of your tooth enamel. This makes dental implants the most aesthetically pleasing form of tooth replacement. In addition to improving your smile, replacing your missing teeth with dental implants offers the following benefits:
- Improved speech. With multiple missing teeth, you could experience difficulty speaking. Dental implants fill the missing tooth gaps and allow you to speak properly.
- Preserve your teeth. Dental implants do not require the reduction of other teeth, and the neighboring teeth are not adjusted to support the implants. This means that your teeth will be left intact.
- Protects the bone. The health of your jawbone could deteriorate when you have missing teeth. This could increase the risk of other dental complications. Dental implants stimulate the jawbone and prevent bone loss.
- Ensure the stability of adjacent teeth. Gaps caused by missing teeth could result in the shifting of the remaining teeth. This could impact your bite and affect your ability to chew correctly. The dental implants support the remaining teeth and help avoid these complications.
Process of Dental Implant Placement
Although the placement of dental implants is an invasive surgical procedure, it is mainly done outpatient in several stages, which include:
Tooth preparation
Preparation for a dental implant includes an oral health assessment and recording of your medical history. The evaluation consists of x-rays to determine the strength of your jawbone and suitability for a dental implant. If you have orthodontic complications, your dentist could recommend that you have them treated before proceeding with the surgery.
Bone Graft
You may require a bone graft if your jawbone is soft or not thick enough to support the dental implants. The bone graft creates a solid base for the implants. A bone graft could be done using natural or synthetic bone tissues. A bone graft may take several months to grow and attach to the jawbone.
Implant Placement
The oral surgeon will open up your gums with a small incision during the dental implant placement. This exposes the bone before drilling holes where the metal post is placed. The metal post serves as an artificial tooth root. When the metal implant is placed in the jaw, you must wait for it to grow and unite with the jawbone.
Abutment Placement
The abutment will be placed to support the tooth crown when the artificial tooth is fused with the jawbone. Sometimes, the abutment may be placed after the healing of the implant surgery or together with the implant.
Placement of the Artificial Teeth
After healing your gums from the invasive procedure, the dentist will take an impression of your mouth and remaining teeth. These impressions will make a crown that mimics the natural tooth's look. You could choose a fixed or removable tooth replacement depending on your specific needs.
Most enamel replacement parts of a dental implant are made of porcelain with natural teeth' shine and pearly appearance.
Since dental implants offer more benefits to your oral health than cosmetic factors, you can cover the cost of the treatment through insurance. Some factors that could impact your ability to receive insurance coverage for dental implants include your insurance plan, the methods of payment accepted by your dentist, and the cause of your tooth loss.
Dental Bonding
Bonding is a cosmetic procedure that uses resin material to enhance your smile. Demits recommends this procedure to repair minor issues with your teeth. In addition to the cosmetic benefits, bonding is used to repair:
Enamel cracks. A fractured or cracked tooth could be caused by trauma, tooth grinding, or other factors that put extreme pressure on your tooth enamel. Tooth cracks could be entryways for bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities. Additionally, ignoring small cracks could cause them to extend, resulting in tooth loss.
Close gaps between teeth. Extreme gaps between teeth could result from tooth malformation, periodontal disease, or tooth shifting. Your dentist could recommend dental bonding to close these gaps.
The dental bonding process includes tooth preparation, application of the bonding material, and curing with a special light to bond the material and tooth enamel. The bonding material used in this procedure is similar to the one used to cover cavities and tooth fillings.
Whether or not your dental bonding procedure will be covered by insurance depends on your reason for needing the procedure. You may benefit from insurance coverage if you undergo the procedure to repair cracks between the teeth, which protects you from further dental complications.
Dental Crowns
A crown is a tooth-shaped cap placed over the tooth enamel to restore its shape, size, and strength. Your dentist may recommend a dental crown under the following circumstances:
- To protect weak teeth. If you have a broken or cracked tooth, a dental crown could hold the cracked parts together to restore the tooth’s function.
- Cover your teeth with large fillings. When you have undergone a filling procedure, and most of the tooth enamel is damaged, a crown may be necessary to protect the remaining tooth from further damage.
- Prevent tooth decay. A dental implant could be used for children with a high risk of tooth decay. The crown will prevent the accumulation of tartar and plaque on the tooth enamel.
- To hold a bridge in the right position
- For cosmetic modification. If the size or shape of your teeth affects your smile, you could correct it by placing crowns on the affected teeth.
Dental crowns serve both cosmetic and restorative purposes. The procedure for dental crowns takes two visits. Steps involved in the fitting of dental crowns include:
Dental Examination and Tooth Preparation
During your initial visit for dental crowns, your dentist will check the health of your teeth and the roots that need crowns. This is done by performing X-rays and other checkups. If your tooth is at risk of decay or infection, the complication may need to be resolved before the placement of the crowns.
Depending on the type of crown you choose, the dentist will remove some parts of your tooth enamel and reshape it for a proper fit. When the tooth is in the desired space and size, the dentist will make an impression that will be used to manufacture the dental crowns. Before your permanent crowns are ready, the dentist will fit your teeth with temporary restorations to protect them.
Placement of Permanent Dental Crowns
Your temporary crowns will be replaced with custom-made ones at your second dental visit. The dentist could use local anesthesia to avoid sensitivity when cementing the crowns on your teeth. Permanent crowns are made of different materials, including stainless steel, resin, porcelain, and ceramic. Your choice of material may depend on your desired outlook and your budget.
The cost of dental crowns varies depending on the material used to make the restoration. Due to the numerous dental health benefits the crowns offer, insurance can partially cover the treatment.
Fillings
Dental fillings are a form of tooth restoration that uses a single material or a combination of materials. Your dentist may recommend a filling if you have broken, cracked, or damaged tooth enamel. Depending on your aesthetic needs, the location of the tooth, and your budget, you can choose fillings made of:
- Gold. Gold fillings are durable, strong, and aesthetically pleasing. However, these fillings are costly and may require multiple dental visits.
- Silver fillings. Silver or amalgam fillings are used to repair molars and other teeth that are invisible when you smile. Before filling with this material, some parts of the tooth enamel may need to be removed to support the filling properly.
- Ceramic. This type of filling is preferable for front teeth because it mimics the natural color and shine of natural teeth. This type of filling could cost as much as gold fillings. However, its durability makes the cost worth it.
- Glass ionomer. This type of filling is commonly used for fillings below the gum line. The material produces fluoride, which helps protect your teeth. Glass ionomer filling is more prone to fracture and wear. Therefore, you may need a replacement after a few years.
A decayed or damaged tooth can cause severe dental and oral health complications. The damaged part could be an entryway for bacteria that cause gum disease and other dental problems. This could cause extreme pain and discomfort. A tooth filling helps restore the function of your tooth and save it from further damage. For this reason, most insurance plans will cover the cost of fillings.
Since some fillings like gold and ceramic are purely cosmetic, the insurance company will pay for partial treatment, and you can cover the difference out of pocket.
Find a Skilled Cosmetic Dentist Near Me
Having crooked, discolored, or even broken teeth could distort your smile and impact your self-esteem. Cosmetic dentistry is a branch of dentistry that deals with procedures aimed at restoring the aesthetics of your teeth. Compared to other dental procedures, cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening, dental implants, Invisalign, and crowns are expensive and might be outside your budget.
You may benefit from insurance coverage for cosmetic procedures that serve cosmetic and treatment purposes. Procedures like implants and Invisalign not only improve your smile but also help prevent other dental complications. Paying for a cosmetic procedure through insurance is complicated. However, the process can be simple and easy to follow.
If your dentist accepts insurance payments, they will submit a claim to your insurance company and wait for the payment. Other procedures leading up to the cosmetic procedure may also be billed to the insurance company. At Lasting Impressions Dental Spa, we offer expert cosmetic dental services for all our clients in Encino, CA. Contact us today at 818-751-5100 for a consultation.
