Are Dental Implants Tax Deductible?

Dental implants are a solution for multiple oral and dental issues such as tooth loss or decay. These implants provide replacements for decayed or missing teeth, which are caused by poor dental health or the natural absence of a tooth from birth.

As helpful as dental implants are, you must make a few considerations before going forward with the treatment. Along with healing time and the physical changes to your dental health, dental implants can cost in the thousands of dollars on average, which might deter people from receiving a much-needed procedure.

The good news is there are a few different ways to save on dental implants, including through your annual submission to Uncle Sam. In a nutshell, dental implants are tax-deductible under specific circumstances: the procedure is tax-deductible if completed for the betterment of your health, but receiving dental implants strictly for cosmetic purposes is not a tax-deductible operation.

In the IRS Publication 502 for Medical and Dental Expenses for 2019, dental treatments that preserve dental health and heal dental diseases are tax-deductible. This statement is relatively broad, but dental implants performed to prevent tooth loss, tooth decay, or other dental diseases would fall into this category.

On the other hand, the document lists procedures you cannot include in a medical tax deduction. Cosmetic procedures fall into this category, and dental implants solely for the improvement of your appearance would fall under the umbrella of cosmetic procedures.

Other Ways to Save on Dental Implants

Dental implants often cost thousands of dollars, but there are a few ways to reduce this cost, depending on your unique health and financial circumstances.

If you have insurance, check to see if your plan will cover any percentage of the treatment cost. While it might not be much, insurance will slightly reduce the price you pay out of pocket.

In the same vein, finding another dental professional might be the solution for saving on implants. Research practices in your area and look into the different backgrounds of the care providers and the prices they offer for other procedures. A well-established dental professional will likely charge more than a newer one, and this detail factors into the prices they charge.

Another way to save on dental implants is to plan ahead. If you need more than one implant or multiple other dental procedures, saving up to get them all at once saves time and may open the door for a discount. The key to this tactic is saving money—start putting away a little bit of money as soon as possible to save up for the procedure. If the procedure is urgent and can't wait, discuss payment plans with your dental provider and insurance company to work toward expediting the process.

Overall, dental implants are costly procedures that make a world of difference for those who need them. While saving up for the operation takes time and hard work, there are a few financing options, including tax deductions, to ease the burden of paying for dental implants.