Does Dental Insurance Typically Cover Cosmetic Dentistry?

Dental benefits from your employer offer some financial help for basic dental care, and, under certain circumstances, a small portion of cosmetic and appearance-enhancing procedures may qualify for reimbursement. Your dentist must, of course, precisely report the procedures he or she performed and may be asked to outline the underlying reason for performing each procedure. In most cases, purely cosmetic procedures (like plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures not covered by medical insurance) will not have been included in the agreement negotiated between your employer and the insurance carrier; so, don't be disappointed if that is what you discover in your own plan.

Each benefit plan is unique so if it is important to be clear about what to expect, check with your benefits manager or insurance carrier directly. Remember that you will always be limited to the small yearly reimbursement maximum negotiated by your employer as well as any restrictions or limitations agreed to in the contract. Your dentist and his or her team will be helpful in providing information you can use when discussing benefits with your insurance carrier. They, however, have no influence over the decisions made by your employer or the carrier and have little information about the details of your plan.