History of cavities? How dental insurance can help you avoid emergencies

Regular cleanings and exams can help prevent cavities. Many dental plans may cover these types of services with no copays or deductibles. Find out how.

Cavities can sneak up on you when you least expect it. (They’re tiny holes that form in your teeth caused by tooth decay. ) You might not even know you have them. Your dentist might find one or more cavities during a routine oral exam.

They’re actually quite common: “1 in 5 adults aged 20 to 64 years have at least 1 untreated cavity.”

If left untreated, cavities may lead to cavity-related dental emergencies, such as infections, tooth damage and even tooth loss.

Dental insurance for emergency care may help. It may provide cavity-related emergency treatment coverage. Its preventive services — such as regular teeth cleanings and exams, especially if you have a history of cavities — may also help stop these dental emergencies from happening.

Let’s take a closer look at cavities, and how dental insurance may help prevent more serious dental issues.

Need a dental insurance plan? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about available coverage, or browse your options online today.

What causes cavities?

The surface of your teeth is covered in enamel. This hard, white substance contains minerals that protect your teeth from damage. When certain bacteria in your mouth mix “with sugars and starches from food and drinks, they form an acid.”

If you expose teeth to this acid too much, it may cause the enamel to lose minerals and weaken. Minerals from saliva and fluoride — for example, from toothpaste — can help repair the enamel.

But if your teeth lose too many minerals, the enamel will become damaged. That damage is called tooth decay.

If left untreated, tooth decay can turn into cavities. And untreated cavities can lead to more serious health consequences.

What are the symptoms of cavities?

At first, cavities don’t usually have symptoms. They’re typically found during a routine dental exam. To look for tooth decay and cavities, a dentist will check for soft or sticky spots on your teeth and/or take X-rays.

If a dentist doesn’t find cavities and treat them, they’ll get bigger. This “can cause a toothache (tooth pain) or tooth sensitivity to sweets, hot or cold.”

Untreated cavities may also lead to infection. If a “tooth becomes infected, an abscess (pocket of pus) may form” in your mouth. Your face may swell, and you may have pain and a fever. Infection can even spread to the rest of your body.

How are cavities treated?

To treat a cavity, the dentist will remove the decayed tooth tissue. They’ll then “fill the space with a filling material.”

If the tooth is badly damaged, the dentist may have a few options:

• Crown. This is a tooth-shaped cap that gets put over a tooth and encircles it.
• Root canal. If a cavity is near a nerve, a dentist may remove damaged or infected nerve tissue and bacteria from inside it and replace it with a filling.
• Extraction. The dentist may have to remove a tooth.

What are some risk factors for cavities?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these things could put you at higher risk of having cavities:

• Drinking or eating foods “with acid or sugar, especially between meals”
• Having a hard time brushing your teeth because of vision, brain-related or mobility issues
• Having visible tooth roots (those keep your tooth in place)
• Taking “medicine or having problems that lessen how well your saliva protects your teeth” (that’s the clear, watery fluid inside your mouth)
• Wearing “braces or other oral appliances”

Need help finding a dental insurance plan? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about available plans, or browse your options online today.

How can you prevent cavities?

The good news is that you can do things to prevent cavities. These might include:

• “Brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.”
• “Regularly clean between teeth with floss” or the equivalent.
• Consider using a fluoride mouthwash.
• “Limit sugary drinks and foods high in sugars and starches.”
• See a dentist for regular exams and cleanings.

How dental insurance can help cover cavities

It’s better for your health and less expensive to prevent cavities than to wait for them to form. If you tend to get cavities, having dental insurance may be particularly helpful. For example, a plan may pay for a teeth cleaning every 6 months with no copay or deductible.

If your employer doesn’t provide dental insurance, you can buy a stand-alone plan. If you get your insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, you can buy supplemental dental insurance there — or through a private insurance company. (There is a monthly premium for supplemental insurance that is not included in what you’d pay for your primary health insurance.)
Dental plans often provide the most coverage for preventive services. These might include:

• Regular cleanings
• Regular exams
• Routine X-rays

Here are some common ways that dental plans may make preventive services more accessible and less expensive. They may:

• Pay benefits without requiring you to meet a deductible (the amount you pay for covered services before in the insurance company starts to pay).
• Require only a copayment or coinsurance for an office visit. A copayment (a copay) is a set amount of money you pay for a covered dental service, like $20. Coinsurance is a set percentage you pay for covered dental services. So you might have to pay 20% for a service, while your dental insurance will pay the remaining 80%.
• Not make you subject to a waiting period (the time between when you get a policy and coverage starting).

If you do get a cavity, it’s better to have a dentist find it and treat it while it’s still small. That might be before it causes extensive (and potentially, expensive) damage.

Simple fillings are considered a basic service, which may come with a copay or coinsurance. But it will be less than the cost of a major service. Major services, which typically have the most limitations and out-of-pocket costs, include crowns, extractions and root canals (see above).

Still have questions about dental plans? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to compare plans, or browse your options online.

For informational purposes only. This information is compiled by HealthMarkets Insurance Agency and does not diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. Services and medical technologies referenced herein may not be covered under your plan. Please consult directly with your primary care physician if you need medical advice.