Cancer did a number on my teeth. Then, because of the hormone blockers they put me on I gained a ton of weight. I started feeling bad about myself and then the chemo kicked in and I started vomiting all the time. While it helped a bit with the weight, it also did a number on my teeth. They’re pretty much a disaster. I’d like to get veneers to help with the damage and wondered if Medicaid would cover that because it is a medical reason?
Angie
Dear Angie,
It is hard when things outside of our control make our lives miserable. I’m sorry about your cancer and hope the treatments are doing their job. The hard part about this is that Medicaid will not cover any cosmetic procedure, such as porcelain veneers.
What they will do is give you the cheapest solution possible for what you need. That means if your teeth are falling apart and damaged, they would cover you getting your teeth extracted and replacing them with dentures. Even then, they only pay the dentists about one third to one half of the actual fee. What this does is eliminate most of the skilled dentists from being willing to accept Medicaid patients.
My recommendation for you is just to have your teeth evaluated at your check up and cleaning. If the teeth are healthy but unattractive, start with an inexpensive cosmetic procedure, such as teeth whitening while you save up for the smile makeover you mentioned.
If you are still vomiting, most of the damage will be to the back of the teeth, which porcelain veneers doesn’t cover. But, if the backs are healthy, then veneers should serve you just fine.
The teeth whitening will make your smile look brighter and younger, while you save up for the smile makeover. Don’t look for the cheapest dentist with this. You want to really invest in your smile and find the dentist who can create a beautiful smile for you. This is an advanced procedure. While, technically, any dentist is allowed to do it, very few are actually qualified. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate cosmetic dentist in Hilton Head, Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.
