If you’ve just turned 65 and are now eligible for Medicare, you might be wondering what that means for your dental care. Will you have to pay a ton of out-of-pocket expenses? Do you need to find a new dentist who accepts Medicare patients? What about medicare dental implants are those covered by Medicare?
If so, how much will it cost? Fortunately, the answer to these questions is yes, dental implants are covered by Medicare. But before we dive into the details, let’s take a look at what they are and why they’re so important. A dental implant is a small metal post that’s surgically placed into your jawbone where your natural tooth used to be. Over time, this process helps stimulate the growth of new bone tissue in the area where your tooth used to be so that your implant can finally function as an anchor for a false tooth or bridge.
What You Should Know About Medicare Dental Implants
First, you should know that medicare dental implants are part of the “medical” portion of Medicare, meaning that you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for the procedure. But don’t worry—this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to write a check for the whole cost of the implant procedure upfront. Instead, most dental implants are covered by Medicare in full with no out-of-pocket expenses for patients (except for the cost of your dental exam, which can run as low as $30). If you have a Mid gape plan, you may also be able to use your dental benefit to cover the cost of your dental implant procedure.
The risks and complications you are taking for dental implants include infection, damage to other teeth, delayed bone healing, nerve damage, prolonged bleeding, jaw fractures, and more. If you are willing to take these risks, dental implants might be right for you. Age limitations for medicare dental implants are explained earlier, and teenagers without complete jawbone growth are the sole candidates considered unsuitable for dental implants. Anyone who is 70 would have attained total jawbone growth several years earlier.
How Much Do Dental Implants in Mexico Cost?
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk numbers! If you’re wondering how many dental implants cost in the United States, you might be surprised to find out that it’s actually less than $2,000—a small price to pay for a procedure that can literally change your life! But since you’ll be paying out-of-pocket for this procedure, you’ll want to find a dental clinic that offers competitive rates.
How much do medicare dental implants cost in Mexico? Well, according to data from the International Association of Dental Implantology, the average cost of a single tooth implant in Mexico is about $1,200. Dental implants are an especially risky procedure to have done in Mexico. Often they lack the proper equipment to create same-day dental crowns or will skip a step in order to avoid additional dental appointments which you will not be able to make due to the distance and money required to travel back to the office. You wait 3-4 months to let the bone grafting heal. You can then go back after to get your dental implant in Mexico. Then you wait another 3-4 months to get your final dental crowns or full set of teeth. Also, in some cases, the dentist may be able to attach a temporary crown or denture to the implants during surgery.
Finding a Dentist Who Accepts Medicare
If you’re lucky enough to find a dental clinic that offers competitive rates, you may be wondering how to find a dentist who accepts Medicare. While the specific rules vary from state to state, in general, you can find a dentist who accepts Medicare by looking in the blue pages of your phone book (under “Health” or “Medical”). If you belong to a health plan through an employer, you can also use their website to find out if they have a network of recommended dentists who accept Medicare. Finally, if you need help finding a dentist who accepts Medicare but don’t have time to search through phone books or websites.
How to Use Your Medigap Dental Benefit
If you’re wondering how to use your Medigap dental benefit to cover the cost of medicare dental implants, you’ll first want to find out if your plan includes this coverage (most do). Once you’ve confirmed that your plan covers dental implants, you can contact your insurance provider to find out how much they’ll cover and what your out-of-pocket responsibilities will be. While it’s impossible to know exactly how much your dental implant procedure will cost you or your insurance provider, it’s helpful to know that the average cost of a single tooth implant is about $1,200. If your dental plan covers 50% of the cost of medicare dental implants, you can expect to pay about $600 for the procedure.
Medigap is Medicare supplemental insurance sold by private companies to help cover original Medicare costs, such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. In some cases, Medigap will also cover emergency medical fees when you’re traveling outside the United States. Medigap is extra health insurance that you buy from a private company to pay health care costs not covered by Original Medicare, such as co-payments, deductibles, and health care if you travel outside the U.S.
Medigap policies don’t cover long-term care, dental care, vision care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, and private. In Original Medicare, you generally pay some of the costs for approved services. Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) is extra insurance you can buy from a private company that helps pay your share of costs. Medigap is supplemental and helps to fill gaps by paying out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare while Medicare Advantage plans stand in place of Original Medicare and generally provide additional coverage.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now know what you need to know about Medicare medicare dental implants—and how much they’ll cost! With dental implants, you can finally get rid of that unsightly denture and feel good about your smile again. And since dental implants are covered by Medicare, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to get the treatment you need, regardless of your budget or insurance situation. So what are you waiting for? Make an appointment with your dentist and get started on dental implants today!