My best friend and I both hate going to the dentist, but recently she’s started using dental sedation and said it changed her life. It sounds like something which could really help me. The thing is, my dental insurance doesn’t seem to cover sedation. My friend has a slightly more giving budget than I do. Is there a dental insurance which covers sedations?
Carolyn
Dear Carolyn,
While dentists realize how important dental sedation is for patients to get the needed dental care available to them. Unfortunately, most insurance companies still don’t realize it would actually help their business along with their customers if they offered at least some coverage on the procedure. I will say there are a few who offer such coverage, but so far, they are likely to be cost prohibitive for you. But, I don’t know your budget, so it may be worth looking into.
Based on what you said above, it sounds like sedation may be just the thing for you. Some patients, with severe anxiety, use it for everything from cleanings and checkups to more intensive procedures such as getting a dental crown or a tooth extraction. Now, instead of anxiety at the dentist they use it as naptime. It’s a simple pill and your life seems a whole lot better.
Worried You Can’t Afford Dental Sedation?
If you’re concerned that sedation is out of your budget, all you need is an understanding dentist. Most dentists who offer sedation are compassionate and understand both the physical and financial anxiety that comes with dental care. They’ll work within your limits. There are two ways to do that:
- Timed/Phased Treatment
One way to do that is to space out your treatments so you can get the care you need on your budget’s timetable. There’s a benefit to sedation even in this. You can get more work done in one sitting because you’re so relaxed. That means fewer visits for you.
- Care Credit
Another option is Care Credit. It’s medical credit, allowing you to get whatever treatment you want and pay it out a little bit at a time. It’s different than consumer credit in that you can pick your terms. Depending on your credit, you can even get 0% interest. There’s also no fee for early pay off if your financial circumstances change.
This seems to be most useful for cost intensive procedures such as dental implants. The good thing about regular dental care is that it helps prevent needing the more expensive procedures. It can’t prevent them 100% but it gives you a much better chance.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Fred Arnold.