Will My Dental Insurance Cover an Emergency Visit?

When you break a tooth or develop an intense toothache out of nowhere, it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed. Not only are you surprised and in pain, but you might also be worried about how you’re going to pay for treatment. Is your dental insurance going to cover a visit with an emergency dentist? It depends, but knowing a few basics about dental insurance can help you feel less stressed in these situations. Read on to learn more about how much you can expect your insurance to pay for emergency dental care.

What Your Dental Insurance Covers

Every dental insurance plan is different, but most of them operate on a similar framework in terms of the extent to which they cover various services. With this framework, known as the 100-80-50 structure, you can typically expect:

• 100% coverage for preventive care (cleanings, exams, X-rays.)
• 70-80% coverage for basic treatments (fillings, gum disease therapy).
• 40-50% coverage for major procedures (dental crowns, root canals).

Will My Insurance Cover Emergency Dental Care?

Every dental emergency is different, and will naturally require different treatments. As such, there is no clear-cut answer to this question. If you have dental insurance, you’ll most likely receive some coverage, but the exact amount varies. For instance, if your toothache can be remedied with a minor filling, then the majority of your treatment costs should be covered. However, if you need a more extensive procedure like root canal therapy, your insurance may only foot half the bill.

Even if you’re worried about the cost of dental emergencies, you should never put off getting the care you need. Your teeth can’t repair themselves like most other parts of the body, so any untreated issues will only get worse over time. A small cavity that only needs a filling might progress to the point where the tooth is so damaged that it has to be removed and replaced, which definitely costs more!

Save Money by Avoiding Dental Emergencies

While you can’t always prevent a tooth from getting injured, knocked out, or infected, you can take small steps to minimize your risk of dental pain (and pricey treatments). Almost every dental insurance plan fully covers two checkups and cleanings per year. These routine visits give your dentist the chance to spot small signs of cavities and other potential emergencies and stop them in their tracks with cost-effective treatments.

Dental emergencies are stressful enough without worrying about whether your insurance will cover your treatment. When an emergency strikes, focus on getting the care you need; your dentist’s team is there to make the process easy and affordable!

About the Practice

At East Islip Dental Care, our team of highly trained dentists provides convenient, same-day emergency dental care. To that end, we’re open seven days a week, and we even offer appointments as late as 8 pm on weekdays! We’re in-network with most major dental insurance plans, including Delta Dental, Aetna, and Cigna. If your insurance doesn’t provide enough coverage, we also offer low-interest financing with CareCredit. If you or a loved one is dealing with a dental emergency, get the prompt care you need by contacting us at one of our three convenient locations in East Islip.