Dental veneers can be the key to a brighter and fuller smile, but they can get expensive. Wondering if your insurance might pick up some of the costs?
Here’s everything you need to know about when and how dental insurance covers veneers and what your alternative payment options are.
Dental Insurance for Veneers and Other Cosmetic Dentistry
Many insurance plans don’t cover cosmetic dentistry. Although veneers can have many benefits, they are often not considered medically necessary.
However, in some cases, cosmetic dentistry procedures can be considered necessary. If the veneers are needed because of disease or injury, insurance will likely foot some of the bills. Insurance also typically pays when the procedure improves your oral health.
Check Your Insurance Benefits to See What’s Covered
To be certain what your dental insurance plan will cover, you’ll need to talk to your insurance provider. Communicate with your doctor to identify any benefits the veneers will have for your overall dental health. Often, veneers and other cosmetic dentistry procedures will have positive dental health ramifications, in addition to their visual benefits.
Why Aren’t Veneers Usually Covered by Insurance?
Dental veneers can fix tooth discoloration, chips, gaps, and more. They improve your confidence by giving you a fuller and whiter smile. This also makes them primarily a cosmetic fix. To cover or partially cover a procedure, insurance companies typically require a health incentive to do so.
To get your dental insurance company to help cover a procedure you’ll need documentation of why it is medically necessary.
When Might Veneers Be Covered by Insurance?
Veneers are more likely to be covered by dental insurance when there is a health benefit or necessity to implant them. This requirement tends to deter insurance companies from covering the cost of implanting veneers. However, it makes them more likely to help replace veneers.
Costs to replace veneers are often covered or partially covered by insurance. Because enamel was removed during the initial procedure, veneers become a necessary cost to keep you in good dental health.
Average Cost of Veneers
The price of veneers depends on several factors. Mainly, what material is used, how many teeth you need dental veneers for, and if you need any additional procedures.
There are two commonly used materials. Porcelain is the most expensive, averaging between $500 – $2,500 per tooth.
Composite resin is also a frequently used material. The price of composite veneers depends on their quality. When made in a dental office, they cost around $800 per tooth. If manufactured in a lab, composite veneers average more around $1,000 per tooth.
Sometimes additional dental procedures are required before veneers can be implanted. If any corrections need to be made before the veneer procedure, it will result in supplementary costs.
Reducing the Cost of Veneers
There are ways you can reduce the cost of veneers. Choosing more inexpensive materials can help drastically lower costs. Porcelain veneers are the most expensive, but they also require the least maintenance. However, if your insurance plan covers maintenance and replacement procedures for veneers, you might want to consider composite veneers.
Composite veneers cost around $800 – $1,000 per tooth and need to be replaced around every 5 years. Comparatively, porcelain veneers can cost up to $2,500 per tooth and need replacement every 10 years or so.
Another way you save money is to reduce the number of teeth you correct. If you only need to correct one or two teeth, consider only adding veneers for those teeth. Veneers are priced per tooth so the fewer you implant, the lower the total cost will be.
Finally, you can reduce your cost by finding the right time to get them. Many dental insurance plans only cover dental visits after a certain amount of time, usually every year or 6 months. Spacing your visits for this amount of time will lower out-of-pocket costs.
You’ll likely need one or two visits before you can get your veneers inserted. If timed correctly, the x-rays or the dental cleaning before the procedure could be covered. Check your insurance plan to see if waiting will help reduce your costs.
Affordable Out-of-Pocket Treatment Options
If the out-of-pocket costs of dental veneers are outside your comfort zone, there are other treatment options available. Depending on what you hope to fix, you might consider other cosmetic dentistry techniques and procedures.
For teeth discoloration, teeth whitening is an option. If you have gaps or missing teeth, dental implants might be preferable. Talk with a cosmetic dentist to see what alternatives would be best for you and your smile.
What Are My Options for Paying for Veneers if I Don’t Qualify for Insurance Coverage?
If your insurance plan doesn’t have coverage for veneers there are several other options. Most dentist offices will offer payment plans, which will let you spread payments out over time. Check with your dentist to see what payment plans they offer.
You can also use dental savings plans to pay for veneers. Dental savings plans are a method of dental insurance, but one that has more flexibility. Like other traditional dental insurance plans, you pay a monthly fee and use the provider when you need dental work. But unlike most insurance plans, dental savings plans can cover dental veneers and other cosmetic dental procedures.