Insurance & Oral Surgery

How insurance works for your oral surgical care.

Elite Oral Surgery is in-network with most major dental insurance carriers. Medical insurance can also help cover full-arch dental implant cases for many patients — a benefit most people don't know about. Our office handles verification on your behalf so you know what you'll owe before treatment begins.

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Dental Insurance

In-network with most carriers · benefits verified before treatment

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Medical Insurance

May cover portions of full-arch implants when medically necessary

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HSA & FSA

Eligible for all our procedures · use pre-tax funds when available

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Financing

Five partners offering 0% APR options for qualified borrowers

Dental Insurance

In-network with most major dental carriers.

Elite Oral Surgery participates in-network with most major dental insurance carriers — including Delta Dental, Premera, Regence, Cigna, Aetna, Guardian, MetLife, Principal, Ameritas, and others. Being in-network means our fees are pre-negotiated with your carrier, your share of the cost is typically lower than going out-of-network, and we file claims on your behalf.

Before any treatment is scheduled, our team verifies your specific dental insurance benefits and provides a written estimate of what your insurance will pay versus what you'll owe out of pocket. This estimate is given to you in writing before you make a treatment decision — never as a surprise after the procedure.

Different procedures have different typical coverage patterns under dental insurance. Here's what to generally expect:

Procedure
Typical Coverage
Notes
Wisdom teeth removal
50-80%
Generally well-covered when impacted; some plans require pre-authorization for surgical extractions and IV sedation.
Single dental implant
50-80%
Surgical placement often covered; the crown that goes on top may have separate coverage limits or restrictions.
Surgical extractions
50-80%
Generally covered as basic or major services depending on complexity.
Bone grafting / sinus lift
Varies widely
Some plans cover; many exclude or limit. Pre-authorization typically recommended.
IV sedation
Often partial
Typically covered when medically necessary in conjunction with covered surgical procedures.
Full-arch implants (All-on-X)
$1K-$3K lifetime cap
Most dental plans cap major procedures at $1,000-$3,000 lifetime regardless of treatment cost. Medical insurance may cover meaningfully more (see below).

The percentages above represent typical coverage ranges across major dental carriers and are not a guarantee for any specific plan. Your actual coverage depends on your individual policy, your annual maximums, your deductible status, and any waiting periods or pre-authorization requirements. We verify the specifics for your plan before treatment.

Medical Insurance for Full-Arch Implants

The benefit most patients don't know about.

Dental insurance typically caps full-arch implant coverage at $1,000-$3,000. Medical insurance, however, can cover meaningful portions of full-arch cases when the treatment qualifies as medically necessary. For many patients, this is a substantial financial difference worth verifying.

For full-arch dental implant patients (All-on-4, All-on-6, All-on-X), there is often a meaningful gap between dental insurance coverage and actual treatment cost. Most dental plans cap major procedures at $1,000-$3,000 lifetime — a fraction of what full-arch treatment costs anywhere. What many patients don't know is that their medical insurance may cover portions of full-arch treatment when the case qualifies as medically necessary.

Medical insurance considers full-arch implant therapy potentially eligible for coverage when tooth loss is associated with documented medical conditions — severe periodontal disease with bone loss, traumatic injury, congenital conditions, post-cancer reconstruction, or chronic conditions affecting nutrition and overall health. Whether your specific plan covers any portion of treatment depends on your carrier, your specific policy, and the clinical documentation supporting medical necessity. We don't make that determination — your insurance carrier does.

What we can do is connect you with a verification service that reviews your medical insurance benefits and provides an estimate of what your plan may cover for full-arch treatment. The verification is free, takes 24-72 hours typically, and produces a written estimate you can use to evaluate your treatment financially.

Verify your medical insurance benefits for full-arch treatment.

Our office partners with a medical insurance verification service that specializes in evaluating coverage for full-arch dental implant cases. The service reviews your benefits at no cost and provides a written estimate of what your plan may cover before you commit to any treatment.

How to start verification:

Online verification: Upload front and back photos of your medical insurance card through our verification partner's secure portal. The service reviews your benefits and provides a written estimate within 1-3 business days. Works with most major medical insurance carriers — Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Premera, Regence, and others.

Prefer to verify by phone? Our insurance coordinator can review your medical benefits over the phone if you'd rather not upload your card image. Either path produces the same written estimate of potential coverage before treatment.

Verification is free with no obligation to proceed with treatment. The verification service works with most major medical insurance carriers. If your specific carrier isn't supported by online verification, our office will handle it directly.

Whether or not medical insurance ends up covering a portion of your treatment, knowing the answer in advance helps you plan financially. We strongly recommend medical insurance verification for any patient considering full-arch implant therapy — even when you assume your plan won't cover anything. The check is free, and the answers sometimes surprise patients.

Other Payment Options

Pre-tax accounts and flexible financing.

Beyond insurance, two additional payment paths can make your treatment more affordable: tax-advantaged spending accounts and structured financing partners.

Pre-Tax Funds

HSA & FSA accepted.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are eligible for all our procedures, including full-arch dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, and routine oral surgery. Using pre-tax funds effectively reduces your out-of-pocket cost by your marginal tax rate — typically 22-32% for most patients.

If you have an HSA, it can be used for medical and dental expenses with no annual deadline. FSA funds typically must be used by the end of the plan year, so timing larger procedures before December can help avoid forfeiting funds. Our team can structure treatment timing to align with your HSA/FSA availability.

Financing Partners

Five financing options.

For costs not covered by insurance or HSA/FSA funds, we partner with five financing companies offering a range of terms — Cherry, Proceed, Sunbit, LendingClub, and CareCredit. Several offer 0% APR promotional periods for qualified borrowers, with terms typically ranging from 6 to 60 months depending on the partner and your credit profile.

Most patients can be approved within minutes through a soft credit check that doesn't affect your credit score. Our team helps match your situation to the best partner — different financing options work better for different financial situations.

See All Financing Options →
In-Network Status

Most carriers, fewer surprises.

What being in-network means for you.

Elite Oral Surgery is contracted with most major dental insurance carriers as an in-network provider. This typically means lower out-of-pocket costs than going to an out-of-network practice, predictable pricing through pre-negotiated fee schedules, and direct claim submission so you don't have to deal with reimbursement paperwork yourself.

If you're not sure whether we're in-network with your specific plan, our team can verify before you schedule. Bring your insurance card to your consultation, or call our office in advance to confirm participation and get a benefits estimate. We're transparent about what your insurance will pay before any treatment is scheduled — the goal is no surprises.

In-network status varies by carrier and plan. Some carrier networks include only certain provider tiers or specific contracted plans. Our team verifies your specific plan before treatment to confirm your in-network status and benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What patients typically ask.

Will my dental insurance cover the full-arch implant procedure?

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Most dental insurance plans cap major procedure coverage at $1,000-$3,000 lifetime regardless of treatment cost. For full-arch implant cases, this means dental insurance typically covers a small fraction of the total cost. The good news: medical insurance often provides meaningfully more coverage when the case qualifies as medically necessary.

We verify both your dental and medical insurance benefits before treatment. If you have a plan with higher major procedure limits or specific full-arch coverage, we'll identify that during verification. The written estimate you receive before scheduling will show your specific projected coverage.

How does medical insurance verification actually work?

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Online verification handles most major medical insurance carriers — Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Premera, Regence, and others. You upload front and back photos of your medical insurance card through the secure portal, and the verification team reviews your specific plan benefits typically within 1-3 business days. You'll receive a written estimate of potential coverage before your consultation.

If you'd rather verify by phone, or if you have a less common medical insurance carrier, call our office directly. Our insurance coordinator can handle verification by phone with the same outcome — a written estimate of what your plan may cover for full-arch treatment, free of charge and with no obligation to proceed with treatment.

What conditions might make full-arch treatment medically necessary?

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Medical necessity determinations are made by your insurance carrier based on your specific clinical situation and your policy's criteria. Common situations where full-arch treatment may qualify include severe periodontal disease with documented bone loss, traumatic injuries resulting in tooth loss, congenital conditions, post-cancer reconstruction, and chronic conditions affecting nutrition or overall health.

We don't determine medical necessity — your carrier does. What we can do is help document the clinical aspects of your case in a way that supports an accurate determination, and connect you with verification services that evaluate coverage probability based on your specific plan and clinical situation.

What if I don't have dental insurance at all?

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Many patients don't have dental insurance, particularly self-employed patients, retirees, and those between employer benefits. Without dental insurance, your out-of-pocket cost is the published price of treatment minus any HSA/FSA funds you choose to use.

For full-arch implants, our published $15,000 per arch all-inclusive price applies regardless of insurance status. Financing through our five partner options can spread the cost across 6-60 months, often with 0% APR promotional periods for qualified borrowers. Even without dental insurance, medical insurance verification is still worth pursuing — many patients without dental insurance still have medical insurance that may cover portions of medically-necessary treatment.

How do I find out what I'll actually owe before I commit to treatment?

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Every patient receives a written treatment plan with itemized pricing before any surgical date is scheduled. The treatment plan includes: total treatment cost, your projected dental insurance coverage (based on benefits verification), your projected medical insurance coverage if applicable (based on verification), HSA/FSA eligibility, and your estimated patient responsibility. You'll know what you'll owe in writing before you commit to treatment.

If you choose to proceed, financing options can structure your remaining patient responsibility into monthly payments. If you choose not to proceed, there's no obligation — the consultation and verification are free for full-arch cases.

Do I need a referral from my general dentist?

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For full-arch implant consultations, no referral is required and consultations are complimentary. For wisdom teeth, single dental implants, surgical extractions, and other procedures, a referral from your general dentist is requested. Both for clinical continuity (your dentist knows your overall dental health and helps coordinate care) and for paid-consultation policy reasons.

Insurance coverage doesn't typically require a referral for dental specialty care, but having one helps with coordination between your general dentist and our specialty practice. If you don't currently have a general dentist, we can help connect you with one in the South Sound area.

Is verification completely free? What's the catch?

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Verification is genuinely free with no obligation. There's no catch in the sense of hidden costs — we don't charge for the verification itself, and the third-party medical insurance verification service doesn't charge patients for the verification service either.

What you get from verification: a written estimate of what your insurance may cover for full-arch treatment. What we get from verification: better-prepared patients who can make financial decisions with real information rather than guessing. Both sides benefit when patients understand their coverage clearly upfront.

Is my information secure when I upload my insurance card?

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The third-party verification portal uses HIPAA-compliant secure upload. Your insurance card information is used only for benefits verification and is not shared with marketing services or third parties. If you have specific concerns about the upload process, you can also call our office directly and provide your insurance information by phone instead — we'll handle verification on your behalf without requiring online upload.

Once your treatment plan is finalized, your information is stored according to standard HIPAA-compliant medical records practices. You have the right to request copies of your records and to know how your information is used.

Begin

Verify your benefits, then decide.

Whether you're considering full-arch implants, wisdom teeth removal, or any other oral surgical procedure, knowing what your insurance covers is the first step. Our team handles verification at no cost and provides a written treatment plan with itemized pricing before any surgical date is scheduled.