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Dental treatments can be costly, especially if it involves repairing or replacing a broken tooth. Dental insurance only covers a portion of the costs and frequently restricts your options for dentists. But what if it's a dental emergency, where the pain or infection needs immediate treatment?
If you need urgent dental care but are unsure how to pay the bills, this article can help you anticipate the costs, understand what you can expect from your insurance provider, and learn how to get a loan to cover the rest.
The treatment cost depends on the damage and how many teeth were affected.
If it can be fixed with a dental filling, you can spend about $200 to $450, depending on the filling you pick.
For chipped or broken front teeth, dentists will recommend veneers. These wafer-thin shells are customized according to your tooth shape and color, then bonded to the surface to hide any imperfections. These can cost from $400 to as high as $2,500 per tooth. If you need to get veneers for all four front teeth, the bill can reach almost $5,000.
Damage to the molars can be trickier to treat since you will need X-rays to determine whether rot has weakened the tooth structure and will impact chewing and eating. Unfortunately, just those tests and the doctor's fees will cost about $500.
If the tests reveal that the crack has weakened the tooth, you will need a dental crown or cap. The cheapest dental crowns cost $500 to $1,500. More high-quality crowns made of metal alloys or porcelain can cost as much as $2,000 to $3,000.
If the tooth has been knocked out or cannot be saved, the last recourse is to get dental implants (about $1,000 to $3,000). The cost can increase if you need extractions or bone grafts to make room for the implant.
Even with dental insurance, patients usually spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on dental treatments. There are many possible reasons.
Every dental insurance plan has an annual maximum or the highest amount that you can reimburse within the year. Most dental plans set this below $1,500. So, if you need a dental implant for about $3,000, you will still shoulder half of the treatment costs.
In addition to limiting the total amount of insurance payouts, many plans have a maximum number of visits per year. So, if your broken tooth requires follow-up appointments or several procedures scheduled within the year, your insurance may not cover it.
Some dental plans will only cover preventive treatments like cleanings and annual check-ups. Others may pay for tests and emergency treatment if the damage immediately impacts their health.
Dental plans will not pay for cosmetic work such as veneers since the crack or break doesn't affect the tooth’s function. However, cosmetic treatment isn't necessarily unimportant or frivolous, and insurance providers don't recognize that.
Broken teeth affect your confidence and may even affect your work. For example, some jobs will require you to interact with customers or have an image that represents the company well—and if you can't smile, you can't do your work well.
Some dental plans offer 100-80-50 percent coverage. That means they will cover 100% of any preventive treatments like cleanings, 80% of basic procedures like cavity fillings, and 50% of major procedures like dental crowns or root canals. This type of plan will also exclude specific treatments like veneers or sealants.
Some insurance plans will only cover significant procedures after the first year of coverage. So, if you're a new policyholder, you must pay for all costs beyond tooth cleaning or fillings.
Some insurance policies will have different payment schemes for urgent or after-hours care. Check the plan to see if you have to pay a deductible or bear a larger percentage of the total costs.
It is also essential to verify if your emergency care facility needs to be accredited by the provider or if they will waive this restriction if the situation requires immediate attention—for example, if the tooth was knocked out because of an accident or sports injury, or if you were in extreme pain or experiencing a fever because of an infection.
Your dentist may not accept your specific insurance provider, so you must look for a dentist or ask your provider for a list of their accredited clinics.
The problem is that their dentists may put you on a waitlist. In addition, depending on the severity of the broken tooth, you may not be able to delay dental care.
Before getting any procedure done, calculate your out-of-pocket costs. Then, read your insurance policy to determine whether it is covered, and call your provider to confirm.
Then, ask your dentist to make a pre-treatment estimate. This should list the fees (including tests and follow-up checkups) and what you will pay after deductibles, co-insurance, and the annual maximum.
From there, you will know how much money you need to raise for the treatment. Then, you can apply for a personal loan if it's beyond your budget.
A personal loan can assist you in covering dental costs so that you do not lose your entire salary due to your treatment. And since payments are spread out over several months, you can afford even more expensive treatments if needed.
A broken tooth often needs immediate treatment, especially if it is painful or prone to infection. However, processing most bank loans will take several days (or even weeks). If you don't have a high credit score, you'll also be asked to gather financial documents before knowing whether you qualify.
Simple Fast Loans provide an easier and faster way to get cash for emergency dental care. Depending on your income and financial history, you can borrow up to $3,000. And unlike traditional banks, you don't have to have a perfect credit score to apply.
Here are the benefits of working with Simple Fast Loans:
Simple Fast Loans offers installment loans and personal loans. The application process is the same, but installment loans have flexible payment schemes. For example, instead of paying back the loan in one lump sum, you spread out the payment over several months.
Personal loans are ideal for smaller fees or situations when you expect funds to arrive at a specific time. For example, the insurance provider needs a few weeks to process reimbursement, or your paycheck will come in after a few weeks, and you need a loan to "fill the gap."
Installment loans are ideal for larger payments that cost $1,000 or more. However, with its flexible plans, you can break it down into more affordable monthly payments that won't break your budget. Since the payments have a fixed amount and due date, you can also plan your finances ahead.
With Simple Fast Loans, you can get an emergency loan ASAP to cover your necessary dental treatment, and you only need to spend a few minutes at your computer.
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