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Jessica Walrack is a personal finance writer who has written hundreds of articles about loans, insurance, banking, mortgages, credit cards, budgeting, and general personal finance. Her work has appeared on The Balance, Bankrate, and Supermoney, among other publications.
Updated February 24, 2024 Fact checked by Fact checked by Bobby L. Hickman, FLMI CLUBobby L. Hickman is a longtime business and financial journalist who brings decades of experience in insurance and financial services to his editor role at Investopedia. He has worked with insurance and financial services companies, such as AFLAC, Allstate, Confederation Life, Farm Bureau, SunLife, and others. His editorial clients include the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Advisors magazine.
Are you thinking about getting a dental implant? While it’s a great way to replace a lost tooth, implants are one of the more expensive dental treatments you can undergo. As a result, it can be hard to find a dental insurance policy that’s implant-friendly. Even many plans that cover implants exclude coverage for implants that are deemed to be for cosmetic reasons.
To help you get your smile restored as soon as possible, here’s a guide on the ins and outs of finding a competitive dental insurance policy that covers implants.
Dental implants may or may not be covered by your dental insurance provider. Many plans will cover them if you need them due to an accident, but not if the reason is cosmetic.
If your plan does cover your implants, it will typically only cover a percentage of the costs, often 25% to 50%. And you may need to wait six months, a year, or more to get the highest amount of coverage.
Dental implants are medical devices that are surgically inserted into a person’s jaw to replace a lost tooth. The full dental implant system is composed of the following three pieces:
Dental insurance companies may exclude or limit coverage for dental implants because the procedure is considered cosmetic and not medically necessary. Some may also exclude coverage if you were missing the tooth before coverage began.
Different parts of the procedure also may be excluded or only partially covered.
When insurers cover implants, they often limit the coverage in a variety of ways. For example, you may have to wait a certain amount of time after obtaining coverage before your insurer will cover an implant. Most policies have annual coverage maximums and may also have annual or lifetime limits on implants specifically. Further, insurers often set coverage limits at 10% to 50% for implants and crowns, which means you’re responsible for the remaining amount.
As you’re reviewing a policy for purchase or speaking to a dental insurance provider, ask:
“There are several aspects to dental implants, including the abutment, the crown, and pre-op and post-op care. You’ll need to ask about each one separately to fully understand what you will be responsible for paying,” said Dr. Michael Gorlovsky, an orthodontist at Windermere Orthodontics in Georgia.
Without dental insurance, the average costs you can expect for dental implants are as follows.
If you’re missing multiple teeth, you can opt for an implant-supported bridge, which comes with an average cost of $6,200, according to Aspen Dental. Further, implants can be used as supports for full dentures, which cost $6,800, on average.
The cost of a dental implant with insurance will depend on your dentist’s fee and the percentage of the cost that your insurer covers. In reviewing 13 insurers, dental implant and crown coverage percentages ranged from 10% to 50% after each plan’s deductible was paid. So if the implant cost is in line with the average of about $2,000, the cost with insurance would range from $1,000 to $1,800 per implant, assuming you’ve already reached your plan’s deductible. However, that only covers the cost of the implant body.
You also have to pay for the crown and abutment that accompany the implant. With insurance, the estimated average cost of an implant-supported porcelain crown ranges from $755 to $1,360, while a pre-fabricated abutment ranges from $358 to $645. Together, the average post-insurance cost of an implant, abutment, and crown ranges from $2,113 to $3,805, depending on your policy’s coverage percentage. Additional costs would apply if you need a bone graft or extraction.
| % of Dental Implant Care Covered | Average Monthly Premium | Dental Implant Waiting Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Dental | 50% after deductible | $64.92 | 6 months |
| MetLife | 50% after deductible | $43.89 | 12 months |
| Physicians Mutual | 25% after deductible | $30.50 | 12 months |
| Spirit | 25% after deductible | $37.96 | 0 months |
| DentaQuest | 50% after deductible | $42.11 | 18 months |
If you decide to move ahead with an implant, consider the following factors when shopping around for a dental insurance plan:
All of these factors play a role in how much you’ll have to pay for an implant with insurance.
Not sure if dental implants are right for you? Consider dental bridges and dentures.
Dental bridges offer another permanent way to replace missing teeth. Traditionally, they consist of two crowns on either end and artificial teeth (pontics) in between to fill a gap. You can also opt for a Maryland dental bridge, which uses metal wings, instead of crowns, to attach a bridge of artificial teeth to the backs of neighboring teeth. And if you only have one natural tooth on the side of a gap, you can opt for a Cantilever bridge. It consists of a crown on your natural tooth and an artificial tooth that hangs over a gap. According to Aspen Dental, the average cost of a dental bridge is $4,313.
Denture prostheses offer a natural-looking, removable tooth replacement option. They can be full or partial, depending on how many teeth you need to replace. The gum-colored base can be made of resin or metal, and the teeth can be made of polymer or porcelain. Dentures rest on your gums and rely on your jawbone or the roof of your mouth for support. In some cases, denture adhesive is also used to keep them in place. The average cost range of traditional full dentures ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, according to Authority Dental.
The cost of dental implants varies depending on the dentist and insurance plan you choose. However, the average cost without insurance is about $2,000, while it typically ranges from $1,000 to $1,800 with insurance.
You can find the exact costs of a dental implant by asking the dental practice that is going to perform the procedure. If you have insurance, you should also contact your provider to find out how much of the procedure will be covered by your policy.
Tooth replacement solutions tend to be on the more expensive side, but you may be able to get dentures for less than it costs to get a full implant system.
Dentures can be better in certain situations. Non-implant dentures are less invasive and can be more affordable. However, they are a temporary solution, while implants are permanent. The American College of Prosthodontists recommends that you replace dentures every five years.
Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper maintenance, but crowns are typically rated for 10 to 15 years. An implant is more likely to fail if you develop gum disease, have a preexisting medical condition like diabetes, or don’t brush and floss properly.
If you’re thinking about getting a dental implant system for yourself or a loved one, it’ll typically cost a couple of thousand dollars per tooth. That said, an insurance policy may be able to help you shave off 10% to 50% of the cost. To maximize your savings, shop around and review different policies. Along with the normal factors like the deductible amount and monthly premium, be sure to take note of the implant coverage percentages, crown coverage percentages, maximum coverage limits, and waiting periods.
