Does dental insurance cover fillings?
Fillings are standard restorative care and nearly every dental plan covers them as a basic service — you typically owe your deductible plus a coinsurance share, up to the annual maximum.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
You have a plan with basic restorative services and have met any deductible — the standard covered case.
- Not covered when
Your plan is preventive-only, covering just cleanings, exams, and X-rays with no restorative benefit.
- Not covered when
You've already exhausted the year's annual maximum on other treatment.
Filling a cavity is core dental treatment, not cosmetic work, so almost any plan beyond a preventive-only policy covers fillings. Plans usually classify them as a basic restorative service, often reimbursed at a higher percentage than major work and sometimes with no waiting period.
You'll generally owe the plan's deductible and then a coinsurance percentage of the allowed amount, with the payout counting against your annual maximum. Many plans reimburse based on a standard (often amalgam/silver) filling for a back tooth, so choosing a more expensive tooth-colored composite can leave you the difference.
The exact percentage, whether a deductible applies, and any material limits come from your plan's schedule of benefits. Preventive-only plans that cover just cleanings and exams are the main case where fillings aren't included.
That's the general answer. Yours is written in your actual policy.
Drop in your policy or benefits document and get the answer for your exact coverage — with the clause it comes from. Nothing is stored.
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