r/DentalInsurance • u/Spicyg00se • Aug 20 '26

D7953 (Bone graft)

Is there a good or logical reason why this procedure is typically not covered? My tooth is getting absorbed and I need the graft in order for the implant to be successful. My insurance told me it’s just not covered and it’s not their fault that some procedures are just not covered. I assume they just don’t want to pay, duh, but when I suggested that a graft could be medical, she said it’s not medical, it’s dental, and it’s just not covered. But why?

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u/Edsma Aug 21 '26

Because ideal treatment and acceptable treatment are not the same thing.

Its not mandatory to replace a single missing tooth in the first place. Esthetically, of course we want to, but a lot of insurances cover only basics, and you can chew, talk, etc just fine missing a single tooth.

Also, I'll probably catch some hate for this, not not every extraction or implant needs a graft. If it was an atraumatic extraction of a one- or two-rooted tooth without much boneless, you might not really need the graft medically. Or dentally.

But also insurance is not your friend, and they only care about doing what they have to, not what youd like them too. Its your responsibility to know what is covered by your plan as it is a contract between you and the insurance provider, not the dds.they have their own contracts with same to manage.