Archives for October 2019

Are Dental Implants Tax Deductible?

Posted on October 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m going to get dental implants but can’t decide if I want to do that this year or next. If they’re tax-deductible, I’d like to squeeze in the dental implants before the end of the year. If they’re not, then I’m going to wait. We usually get a bonus at the end of the year at work and I can pay for it more easily that way.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I’m really impressed you have that type of foresight in dealing with your finances. There is a way to deduct both medical and dental expenses, but there are some restrictions. You can get all the details at the IRS website on Topic No. 502 Medical and Dental Expenses. However, I can give you the easy version here.

Dental implants count because they affect the structure and function of your body. This is specifically mentioned, so that helps if it ever came to an audit.

However, to deduct medical expenses it will mean itemizing your deductions. This is only useful to you if your write-offs are greater than the standard deduction. The good news is that will include all of your medical (and dental) expenses, not just your dental implants.

There is a small catch though. You can only deduct expenses greater than 7.5% of your income. Let’s say you make $40K a year. You would have to eat the first $3,000 of those expenses before it starts lowering your tax obligation.

Don’t Put Off Replacing Teeth

It will be fine to wait until something like a bonus comes in before getting your dental implants. However, you need to put some type of replacement there in the meantime. There are plenty of inexpensive, temporary tooth replacement options, the cheapest would be a dental flipper.

If you don’t put something there to hold the space open, the other teeth will shift or tip into the empty space. Then, you won’t have enough room to replace the tooth when you’re ready.

This blog is brought to you Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Will Medical Insurance Cover Dental Implants

Posted on October 26, 2019 by writeradmin.

I needed to replace all my upper teeth due to severe gum disease. I’ve since been able to get a handle on that. However, I’m having the hardest time adjusting to the denture plate. My dentist did worry I’d have a hard time with it because I have a pretty severe gag reflex. I’m wondering, because this is sort of a medical condition, if my medical insurance will cover the dental implants. They are quite pricey.

Marjorie

Dear Marjorie,

Implant Overdentures

Most medical insurance has a clause that they won’t cover anything dental. That means you’ll have to rely on whatever your dental insurance is willing to cover. There are ways to make dental implants more affordable. Just don’t confuse cheap with affordable.

Dental implants are an advanced procedure that requires a great deal of post-doctoral training. Some dentists invest more time and training than others. Some dentists cut corners to keep their prices down, but you still end up paying—usually as the result of a dental implant horror story.

Affording Dental Implants

There are a few things which can help you get the dental implants you want. First, you should know that the payments are usually done in two stages. First, in the surgical stage. Then, after a healing period, you pay the second half when it is time to get the porcelain crowns to place on top of the dental implants.

In addition to that, some dentists are willing to do payment plans to help provide affordable dental implants. There’s one other thing you can do as well. Instead of getting eight dental implants, you can get four, this will be half the cost.

Talk to your dentist. I’m sure the two of you can work something out. Patients with a strong gag reflex often have trouble with dentures. You’ll be happy to hear, they just as often find dental implants to be a wonderful solution.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

This Tooth Gap Means Serious Gum Disease

Posted on October 17, 2019 by writeradmin.

I need some advice about making my teeth look nice. When I was little I had terribly bucked teeth because of thumb sucking. I did have braces to fix them, but now some of my teeth seem to have shifted. There’s a huge gap between my lateral incisor and my canine. It makes me uncomfortable to smile. I went to see my dentist and he said the gap is from my teeth shifting due to gum disease. What can I do to fix this?

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

I seriously hope this isn’t the first you are hearing about the gum disease. If so, your dentist is negligent and it may cost you some teeth. Once gum disease is far enough along to cause teeth to shift, the problem is severe. This means they are already getting loose and you’ve lost at least half your bone support. The next thing they’ll do is fall out!

Your priority number one is getting the gum disease treated and under control You can’t even think about fixing their appearance until this is done. I would see a periodontist for treatment instead of your normal dentist. This will take some serious gum disease treatment and general dentists usually only handle the early stages. Once it gets to your level, they will give you a referral. In some cases, treatment will require surgery.

After You’ve Seen a Periodontist

Once your gum disease is under control, that’s when you can move forward with getting a smile you are proud of. There is a chance the teeth which have shifted cannot be saved. If that happens, there are fantastic tooth replacement options. My suggestion would be dental implants, though because of your gum disease you may need some bone grafting done first. Once they’re in, though, implants are like having healthy teeth in your mouth again.

If your teeth can be saved, your best bet would be to straighten them again. Now that you’re an adult, you won’t want a mouth full of metal wires and brackets. Fortunately, you don’t have to. You can now straighten your teeth with Invisalign, which uses clear aligners.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.