I hate sitting in the dentist’s chair in pain or aware of what’s going on inside my mouth. Now that I need dental implants, I’ve decided to look for a dentist who offers sedation dentistry. But is the sedation aspect of it much more expensive local anesthetic? Is sedation dentistry covered by regular dental insurance? – Kevin
Kevin –In advance of the dental procedure, sedation medication is administered to keep you calm and relaxed during your dental treatment.
Local anesthetic is used to numb the area where the dental work will be done on your tooth or teeth. Local anesthetic will still be used for numbing purposes during your dental procedure. So, there is one expense for local anesthetic, another for sedation medication, and remaining fees for your dental implant procedure. The cost of sedation dentistry can depend on which type of sedation you receive and the length of time it is required for your dental procedure.
Some insurance companies provide benefits for a limited number of hours of sedation during your dental procedure. You would be responsible for the balance if sedation dentistry is required beyond the maximum number of hours allowed by your insurance. For example, insurance may cover up to two hours of sedation. If your dental procedure requires more than two hours of sedation, you will be responsible for the balance. Contact your insurance provider or your employer’s human resources department to find out if sedation dentistry is an allowable expense for your plan.
This post is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist and board-certified prosthodontist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.
