Find an Oral Surgeon Who Takes Medicaid

If you or your kid is looking to have a wisdom tooth removed, a dental implant placed, or a jaw surgery done, you may want to look for an oral surgeon that can perform the procedure for you. Finding a good oral surgeon who is affiliated with your insurance company, or provides affordable services can be quite challenging to say the least. Not every oral surgeon accepts Medicaid, or any other health insurance for that matter.

Consultation with an Oral Surgeon

As with any other major medical or dental procedure, prior consultation with an oral surgeon is a must to help you and your kid gain a better understanding of the treatment that will be rendered. The oral surgeon will discuss the appropriate treatment options for the case, what’s the best among these options, how it is done, what to expect, possible postoperative complications, any follow-ups required, and more importantly, the cost.

Oral surgeons who accept dental insurance or any other payment plan may consider the following:

Government-funded insurance plans, like Medicaid
Plans offering dental discounts
CreditCare, a health credit card that can be used in lieu of your personal credit card; it allows cardholders to pay the costs overtime.

Procedures Performed by Oral Surgeons

Oral surgeons specialize in treating not just the problems of the mouth and jaw, but also issues in the entire head and neck are. The most common procedures performed by oral surgeons include:

Odontectomy – Odontectomy is the medical term for wisdom tooth surgery. The wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to erupt at age 17 to 25. Since they are the last, there’s usually not enough space left for them, causing their impaction. Thus, it is important to have these teeth monitored at regular intervals — usually every 6 months. Wisdom tooth impaction can cause complications such as pericoronitis, periodontitis, and destruction of the adjacent teeth to name a few. To prevent these, their removal becomes necessary.
Implant surgery – This procedure pertains to the placement of a dental implant in the jaw to replace a missing tooth. It may seem costly and impractical, but implant placement actually helps protect the jaw against bone deterioration and subsequent bone loss.
TMJ surgery – TMJ, or the temporomandibular joint, is the joint formed by the upper and lower jaws. Disorders of the TMJ can be quite painful, which is why early consultation for evaluation and treatment is advised.
Cyst and tumor removal – Cyst and tumor formation can stem from various reasons, but the most common are poor oral hygiene, long-standing tooth decay, and oral habits such as cheek biting. Benign or otherwise, these growths must be removed to ensure long-term oral health. Dentigerous cyst, a developmental cyst commonly observed in children, can cause a lot of complications so they must be removed as early as possible.
Reconstructive surgery – This type of surgery is done mainly to correct birth defects or repair injuries. Common birth defects corrected through reconstructive surgery include cleft lip and/or palate. These defects must be corrected as early as possible, to prevent complications later in life. If left untreated, cleft may affect your kid’s ability to talk, speak, and even sleep.
Emergency procedures – Severe dental emergencies, such as those that affect the jaw and facial bones necessitates immediate treatment by an oral surgeon.

Preparing for an Oral Surgery Procedure

Your oral surgeon should let you know what to do a few days prior to surgery to prepare your kid for the procedure. This should help ensure fast recovery and minimal complications. Certain procedures, like odontectomy, is an outpatient procedure that may be done under local or general anesthesia. Your oral surgeon should provide you with a set of guidelines that you and your kid must follow.

Most of the time, patients are advised to refrain from eating or drinking within 12 hours prior to the procedure. Your kid may also be asked to brush and floss their teeth before going to the oral surgeon’s clinic. All recommendations and guidelines will be provided in advance so you and your kid can prepare for it thoroughly. If you have questions or if there’s something you’re unsure of, contact your surgeon at least 12 hours before the procedure.

Does Medicaid Pay For Oral Surgery Procedures?

Whether or not Medicaid will pay for an oral surgery procedure depends on which state you will have it done. Unfortunately, not all Medicaid programs pay for dental care. Thus, we recommend checking with the providers in your state to determine which procedures are covered and not. Medicaid, dental services, in general, include:

Regular checkups
Relief of pain and prevention or control of infection
Treatment of dental emergencies and other diseases that if left untreated, may potentially be life-threatening
Any medically-necessary oral health services, including those detected during a routine oral screening or clinical exam

Since not all dental services are covered, we advise taking some time to read the details of your Medicaid insurance. If you need dental checkups on a regular basis, or if you wish to undergo a surgery to prevent a recurring oral health problem, maybe Medicaid can help. Preventive surgeries and orthodontic treatment may be covered, but cosmetic procedures are usually not.

Dentist vs. Oral Surgeon: Is There a Difference?

Dentist or oral surgeon: who should you consult? Is there a difference between these two? If any, what are these differences?

Oral surgeons, in addition to basic dental education, spend extra years studying — usually around four to eight years. This difference in academics doesn’t really matter to patients, but you should still be aware so you won’t be surprised if your dentist refers you to an oral surgeon. This referral is necessary if a procedure is complicated and falls outside the scope of what dentists usually do.

Dentists, on the other hand, can conduct minor oral surgeries like simple and complicated extractions. When it comes to major and more specialized surgeries, such as removing wisdom teeth, treating facial traumas and conducting jaw surgeries, having them done by an oral surgeon is necessary.

Don’t worry about the need to visit an oral surgeon for your dental needs. Your dentist will tell you when you need to see one.

Find a Kool Smiles Partner Dentist Today

If your child needs an oral surgeon, we can help. Kool Smiles Kids Club has partner dentists across the country who aim to provide top-quality oral health care for all children.

At Kool Smiles Kids Club, we believe that cost should never prevent a child from receiving high-quality care. Our partners accept Medicaid, TRICARE, CHIP (formerly SCHIP), most major insurance policies, cash, credit, and CareCredit.

Sources:

WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/wisdom-teeth-adult#1

National Center for Biotechnology Information:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3343404/

University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital:

https://uichildrens.org/health-library/cleft-palate-frequently-asked-questions

Health Direct Australia:

http://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/what-is-a-congenital-disorder

Mayo Clinic:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cleft-palate/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20370990

Very Well Health

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-prepare-for-oral-surgery-1059320