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Dental FAQ

Who is eligible to use the MIT Dental Services?

Anyone who is eligible to use MIT Medical is eligible to use the Dental Service. That includes current MIT students, affiliates, and employees; Draper and Whitehead employees; their spouses (including eligible same-sex spousal equivalents), and dependent children 15 or older; and members of the MIT Health Plan.

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How can I find out how much my dental care will cost?

Your dentist will first do an examination, take radiographs (x-rays) when appropriate, discuss treatment options with you, and then give you a copy of your initial treatment plan, which will include estimated costs. These costs are estimates only, because your treatment plan may need to be modified based on what your dental provider finds after actually starting treatment.

As a courtesy to patients who ask, the dental billing staff will provide cost estimates, estimate patient insurance co-payment amounts, and send pre-estimates to Delta Dental. However, it is the patient's responsibility to understand his or her insurance benefits and be responsible for any balances not paid by the insurance company.

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Are any dental services covered by my health insurance?

Health insurance plans usually do not cover routine dental care such as cleanings, x-rays, fillings, or crowns, but check with your health insurance company directly to be certain. Routine dental care is not covered by the MIT Student Health Plan, MIT Affiliate Health Plan, or Traditional or Flexible MIT Health Plans for employees.

A limited number of special procedures are covered by the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan and the MIT Affiliate Extended Insurance Plan. These include:

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What do I do if I have an urgent dental problem or emergency after hours or on weekends?

MIT Dental is staffed during regular business hours only. After hours, a patient with an emergency situation should contact the MIT Medical Urgent Care Service for evaluation and triage Our general dentists and oral surgeons are on call to provide advice to the Urgent Care Service after hours and on weekends. In the case of a dental emergency (e.g. facial trauma, jaw fracture, avulsed tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, or airway compromise) the patient will be referred by the oral surgeon to the Massachusetts General emergency room for treatment.

Patients with urgent dental problems (e.g., chipped tooth, tooth pain, lost crowns, broken dentures or fillings) will be seen as soon as possible, usually the next day. The dentists on call can be contacted by the Urgent Care personnel to give information on handing these situations until definitive care can be provided. Most hospital emergency rooms do not treat dental problems of this nature.

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What are the payment options for employees?

If you have the Delta Dental Premier insurance plan that is offered to MIT employees, you only need to pay your co-payments or deductibles at the time of service. MIT Dental will then file a claim with Delta Dental for the balance. Employees with other dental plans must pay in full at the time of service. We accept Master Card, Visa, Discover, or personal checks. If you have other dental insurance plans, we will be happy to provide a standard claim form for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

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Why doesn't my dental insurance cover treatments that are recommended by the MIT Dental Service?

Good question. Unfortunately, you will have to ask your dental insurance plan that question. Dental insurance is a contractual arrangement between an employer, employee, and a dental insurance company. The coverage dental insurance companies provide is based on a financial contract and do not imply any standard of care. Your dental needs may or may not correspond with your dental insurance coverage. Only a patient and their dentist can determine the most appropriate dental care for the patient.

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What are the payment options for MIT students?

MIT students can pay at the time of service with a check, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover or have charges placed on their Student Account statement. If you have dental insurance, you will be billed at the time of service, and we will be happy to provide a standard claim form for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. There is a discount for registered MIT students who do not have dental insurance through their families or elsewhere. Currently, MIT Medical does not offer a dental insurance plan for students.

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Will you remind me when my next appointment is coming up?

As a special courtesy, we will try to call or email you with a reminder. However, this is not always possible. Ultimately it is the patient's responsibility to remember scheduled appointments.

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What should I do if I can't keep a scheduled appointment?

Please call MIT Dental at 617-253-1501 as soon as possible so we can set up a new appointment for you. We would like to make that time available to someone else who requests an appointment. No-shows or last-minute cancellations not only deny valuable time to other patients, they also increase the cost of providing care. Patients who forget to cancel multiple appointments may find it increasingly difficult to schedule an additional appointment.

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