Are Cosmetic Dental Services Elective or Essential?

Are Cosmetic Dental Services Elective or Essential? from Rafael E. Cordero, DDS PA in Palm Beach Gardens, FLYour insurance provider might cover cosmetic dental services depending on if they are deemed elective or essential. Most dental insurance providers cover essential treatments that help restore or keep your mouth healthy, but you are typically on your own when it comes to elective treatments that your insurance provider does not deem necessary. Fortunately, many cosmetic dental services also provide therapeutic benefits, making them essential for some patients.

Figuring out if the cosmetic dental services that you need are essential or elective

The reason that a cosmetic treatment is being performed determines if it is essential or elective. Conditions that make cosmetic treatments essential include:

  • The treatment is being used to address disease or decay
  • The treatment is used to fix damage caused by an injury or accident
  • The cosmetic treatment is performed to improve the patient’s teeth or to replace missing teeth

Treatments are typically classified as elective if:

  • The procedure is performed to improve how the patient’s smile looks
  • The teeth or gum tissues being treated are not decayed, impaired, or damaged
  • There is no medical reason for performing the treatment

Examples of cosmetic treatments that insurance providers might cover include the following.

1. Crown placement

Crowns are versatile restorations that provide restorative and therapeutic benefits. Placing a crown on a tooth purely for cosmetic reasons would not be covered by insurance providers, but crowns are rarely used strictly for aesthetics.

Placing a crown on a tooth requires the dentist to shave off enamel from its sides. This creates a better fit with the crown. It is a permanent procedure that cannot be reversed in the future. That means the tooth will always need a crown to serve as its artificial protection.

Dentists rarely use crowns for strictly cosmetic reasons because less-invasive composite bonding can be used to fix many issues. Problems that dentists typically recommend crowns for include tooth decay, broken teeth, and fractured teeth. When this is the case, the placement of the crown counts as an essential treatment.

2. Composite bonding

This treatment involves rebuilding teeth with composites made from glass and plastic mixtures. The composite is applied directly to the patient’s teeth and hardened with a blue light. Composite bonding is a versatile treatment, so it can count as essential or elective depending on why the dentist performs the treatments. If it is being used to address issues like discolored teeth, the procedure counts as elective. It is being used to address issues like tooth decay, the treatment is classified as essential. Either way, the aesthetics of the patient’s teeth are improved.

3. Bite-altering treatments

Treatments like the installation of braces count as essential when used to fix issues caused by injury or an accident.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Cosmetic Dental Services in Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Restore your smile

Cosmetic dentistry has many treatments that can be used to create the smile that you have always wanted. Give us a call or stop by our Palm Beach Gardens clinic to set up an appointment with our dentist.

Request an appointment or call Rafael E. Cordero, DDS PA at 561-763-9221 for an appointment in our Palm Beach Gardens office.

Recent Posts

Cosmetic Dental Services To Restore The Shape Of Teeth

Cosmetic dental services can be performed to help restore the shape of damaged teeth. Teeth are regularly exposed to bite forces and acids that can break off parts of their structures. They can also be damaged by bad habits like teeth grinding or by getting hit in the face.Damaged teeth can affect the appearance of…

Cosmetic Dental Services: Frequently Asked Questions About Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening treatments are among the most popular cosmetic dental services. These treatments are effective on most types of stains and can significantly improve the whiteness of your teeth. An in-office whitening session can improve teeth color by up to eight shades.For patients thinking about whitening their teeth, here are the answers to a few…

Cosmetic Dental Services For Multiple Teeth At Once

Certain cosmetic dental services like teeth whitening can be performed to address issues that affect multiple teeth at once.Let us look at a few of the cosmetic dental services that can be used to improve the aesthetics of more than one tooth simultaneously.Teeth whitening treatments are among the fastest ways to improve how a person’s…

Recent Posts

Facts About The Dental Implants Process

5 Facts About The Dental Implants Process

Dental implants are a permanent solution for replacing missing teeth and restoring oral function. Patients who take the time to understand the implant process enjoy successful outcomes.A dental implant is a titanium post that a dentist anchors to the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. After the implant successfully integrates with the jawbone, the…

Facts And Myths About The Dental Implant Procedure

Facts And Myths About The Dental Implant Procedure

Many people in the United States have dental implants, but that does not change the fact that misinformation about the procedure still runs rampant. Check out these myths and facts about them to help you determine if implant surgery is right for you.There are many myths about implants. Learn about the myths and the facts…