Dental money, explained
Our cost guides tell you what treatment costs. The blog covers what moves those numbers: new federal price data, coverage rules, and the deadlines that decide whether you pay full price. Every post cites its sources.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Implants? The Clauses That Decide What You Pay
Some dental plans pay part of an implant, but never more than the annual maximum, and three common clauses can cut that to nothing. How to read a plan, a worked example, and how to get a written answer first.
Oral healthHow Long Do Dental Implants Last? What the 10-Year Studies Actually Show
About 96% of implants are still in place after 10 years in pooled studies, 93% once patients who dropped out are counted. The crown on top wears out sooner. What fails, who is at risk, and the cost per year.
Insurance & MedicareIs Dental Insurance Worth It? How to Run the Numbers Before You Enroll
The most a dental plan can save you in a year is its annual maximum minus your premiums. A worked example, the five numbers to check in any plan, and when paying yourself wins.
Paying for careCan You Use an HSA or FSA for Dental Work? What Counts in 2026
Yes: cleanings, fillings, braces, extractions and dentures all qualify, but whitening doesn't. The 2026 limits, the FSA deadline rules, and how to time big dental work to save the most.
Oral healthMouth Taping: What the Research Says About Sleep, Snoring and Your Teeth
Mouth taping promises better sleep, less snoring and healthier teeth. A 2025 systematic review found weak evidence, a real risk if your nose is blocked, and no data at all on teeth.
Insurance & MedicareDoes Medicare Cover Dental? Dentures, Implants and What Actually Pays in 2026
Original Medicare doesn't cover cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures or implants, with a few medical exceptions. What does pay: Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, PACE, and what to check before Dec. 7.
Price dataWhy Is Dental Care So Expensive? What 26 Years of Federal Price Data Show
Dental prices rose 8.5% in the year to May 2026, the fastest since 1984, and 159% since 2000 vs. 98% for everything else. Why it keeps happening, and debt-free ways to pay less.