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S
sciuto Asked September 2014

Where do I look for dental insurance?

No insurance plan will have reconstructive dental insurance. VA will not, Medicaid don't. What or where do I look for it?

EXPERT Carol Bradley Bursack, CDSGF Sep 2014
Sciuto, I wish I had an answer that could help you.

In most cases, Medicaid will extract teeth but not reconstruct. That's extremely sad, especially for a person who is in otherwise decent health. The ability to eat is the basis of good health.

Even people with dental insurance can't usually get reconstruction paid for a year after signing up so, bleak though this sounds, I'm not sure what you can do.

Maybe someone else in this community will have an idea.
Take care,
Carol

partsmom Sep 2014
If there is a good dental school in your area, check with them. I have been going to a large university dental school clinic, and their quote for dental work was much lower than a private dentist my daughter checked out. It's slower, but sometimes that is a good thing--the private dentist was pushing me to have major work done in less than a week and the dental school recommended much less drastic work.

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igloo572 Sep 2014
Scuito - the ACA / affordable care act (Obamacare) is for medical services. It works along the lines of Medicare & Medicaid in that it is about medical services & preventive health care. States can have their Medicaid program include dental - Minnesota does.

Some Medicare advantage plans & PACE plans cover dental but they have to be medically necessary procedures. Restorative dental - fillings, caps, veneers, implants, -isn't medically necessary.

Often oral surgeons - DMDs more often than a DDS - do take both medical & dental insurance as some things are billable to your medical insurance policy. We just went through this with our sons wisdom teeth as 1 tooth qualified medically. If is a bone impaction then medical pays & also a % of anesthesia.

abc1234567890 Sep 2014
You mentioned the VA. Are you eligible for Tricare? It covers basic restorative in the first year, major restorative after the first year of enrollment, and dentures after the first year of enrollment.

abc1234567890 Sep 2014
I should add that this is for TriCare Dental. It's a separate policy form the TriCare medical.

sciuto Sep 2014
Dear Carol; as to your reply to my dental problem,..In most cases, Medicaid will extract teeth but not reconstruct. Don't worrey, O'bama care will slove that problem.

pamstegma Sep 2014
Medicaid will get you a partial or full denture. Beware the big box dental clinics located near the mall. They will quote you tens of thousands in repairs, they don't take insurance, and will have you sign a loan agreement for the total restorative work. Walk away, because you can't change you mind and cancel it.

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