Not everybody can afford cosmetic dental work, but those who can pay for it are almost always thrilled with the results. Dr. Mark J. Warner, DDS, who owns Mark Warner DDS General Dentistry in Fairfield, California, talks here about ways of financing a new smile.
Financing cosmetic dental work usually is needed because it’s expensive. Some things are covered by insurance, although usually the insurance will back away from it if we talk about it being purely cosmetic. The good news, however, is that oftentimes decay and breakage issues surround the cosmetic work that we do. So in those instances, you might be eligible for insurance help.
If cosmetic work is being carried out on your teeth simply because we want to make the teeth look better, but everything looks healthy and is functioning properly, than a lot of times insurance companies will not help. That is where some of the computer imaging helps. In cases where there actually is a problem, we can show not only the patient but also the insurance company what the problem is.
Benefits of Cosmetic Dental Work
Despite the difficulties in financing, for many people, cosmetic dental worth is definitely worth the money. After having work done, our patients hopefully will have healthier teeth that will last longer. They will have teeth they feel will look nice, they will tend to smile more and they will have greater self-confidence in how they look.
A patient may be overcoming a lifetime of feeling bad about how how teeth look, but cosmetic dental work can change all that, even if only teeth whitening is done. I had a lady once start crying in my office after I did some temporary dental work on her. I thought she was upset about the way she looked, but actually she was crying because she was not Bucky Beaver anymore and was so happy about how her smile looked, even though it was only temporary.
Worth the Price
I believe that cosmetic dental work is worth the money most of the time. A lot of the work that we do is based simply on patient desire. If the patient wants it and it can be done well, I think it’s worth the time, effort, expertise and, of course, money.
Keep in mind, however, that dental insurance will only provide you with a certain standard of dental care. That is, while it will pay for a crown to protect your tooth, it will not pay for the most beautiful crown on the market. They may also maintain lists of preferred cosmetic dentists to use.
A truly good cosmetic dentist will use only the highest quality materials, the best technology and have the most up-to-date certification and experience to give you the teeth you have always dreamed of. Don’t settle for anything less, or you may not be pleased with the results. You get what you pay for, and this is true of cosmetic dentistry as it is of anything else.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
