I have been bulimic since I was 15 years old, which has left my smile in very bad shape. I would like to fix it but I’m hoping to not spend more money than is necessary. Is there a chance that Medicaid will cover them because it is a medical condition?
Selena
Dear Selena,
I am sorry you are going through this. There are a couple of problems with the Medicaid. First, you will need to get them to agree that the problem is medical. Even if you do that, and that is a big if, Medicaid will only pay for the cheapest solution to the problem. In your case, when it comes to fixing your teeth, they are very likely to say that the solution they will pay for is to extract all your teeth and give you dentures. You do NOT want that. Even if you found someone to give you the most beautiful dentures in the world, in ten years or so, you’ll be dealing with facial collapse.
The effects of facial collapse on a person’s appearance
Facial collapse happens because when your teeth are removed, your body instantly recognizes that. It interprets that as you no longer needing the jawbone that was there to support your tooth roots. Because of that, it begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body where they will be of more use. This has the unfortunate side effect of shrinking your jawbone until there is not even enough left to support your dentures, leaving you completely without teeth.
The way to prevent facial collapse would be to get dentures that were supported by dental implants. The implants are surgically placed into your jawbone, signaling to your body that there are still teeth there, which means it will leave the minerals in place. However, this is super expensive and Medicaid will not cover it.
It will be much more cost effective for you to save your natural teeth. But, the cosmetic part will not be covered by Medicaid. It will be out of pocket. While porcelain veneers are the standard for a smile makeover, you will want to find out how much damage there is to the back of your teeth. With bulimia, the backs of your teeth are what receive the bulk of the damage. You did not mention if your bulimia was under control or something that you are still battling. As long as that is still happening, you will continue to damage your teeth. If you are still struggling, one thing that can help, but not eliminate the damage is for you to immediately rinse out your mouth thoroughly with water in order to neutralize the acid.
Getting the cosmetic work done on your teeth may take you some time. It is important that you don’t just try to find the cheapest dentist to do this. Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That means that any general dentist is allowed to do it regardless of the amount of post-doctoral training they’ve received in the procedure. There is no one that has verified their skill or artistry in this. Usually, the cheapest dentists have the least amount of training. There are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories.
My advice to you would be to get a consultation with an expert cosmetic dentist. The best way to find them is to look for someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Dentists who are AACD accredited are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. This is different than membership. Any dentist can be a member. In order to become accredited, a dentist has to pass stringent exams as well as provide visual documentation on a large number of cases they’ve done to prove they have artistry and can provide patients with a stunning result. This dentist can give you the best advice on what procedure will give you the smile of your dreams. Then, find out how much it would cost and save up for it.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.