Can I use My HSA for Dental Work?

Can I use my HSA for dental work?

Suppose you have a dental insurance policy or work benefit that provides a Health Savings Account (HSA). In that case, you may wonder if you can use those tax-advantaged funds toward dental procedures—or perhaps if you can use them for routine dental care. What about teeth whitening or Invisalign?

The answer is yes – you can use your HSA for dental procedures and related expenses. The intention of an HSA is to provide a tax-advantaged way to save and pay for qualified medical expenses. This would include specific dental procedures like cleaning, fillings, or even Invisalign teeth straightening – and any insurance copays such as your annual deductible.

However, an HSA will typically be only used for medically necessary procedures; some procedures may not qualify under the intent of a HSA. If you are wondering about your specific case, we suggest you contact your HSA provider or administrator. For example, many dentists in Winter Park are asked if they can use their HSA for teeth whitening services. Unfortunately, we typically advise against this as teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic procedure.

Can I use my Health Savings Account to pay the dentist?

Mostly, yes; whether you have dental insurance or not, if you have an HSA account – you can use those funds to pay for dental procedures, from checkups and cleanings to more extensive procedures like dental crowns or root canals. The payments are eligible regardless of whether you paid them in whole or shared them with your insurance policy (to pay for deductibles or copays). Additionally, your local dentist will be able to provide you with an itemized receipt for the HSA to check and validate the expenses.

Can I use my Health Savings Account to pay for toothbrushes and floss?

While your daily dental care routine is essential to your dental health, commonly used dental care items like toothbrushes are not eligible for HSA expenses. Because they are considered general products and not medical specific, they cannot be reimbursed unless they have a letter of medical necessity from your dentist or physician. Some examples may be electric toothbrushes for patients needing them following periodontal or other specific treatments. You can always ask your Winter Park dentist if this is your case. Other home care products, such as water flossers or "WaterPik," would also be eligible if paired with a letter of medical necessity.

Sometimes, prescribed toothpaste or mouth rinse would also be eligible but require a prescription to be sent to your pharmacy.

Is Invisalign covered by my Health Savings Account?

In most cases, yes – Invisalign teeth straightening is an eligible expense with your HSA. This pertains to the specific treatment, visits, and retainers. Whether it is your copay or the total amount, it is a great way to have a bit more savings on your Invisalign treatment in Winter Park. Accessories for Invisalign, however, would typically not fall under eligibility (things like retainer cases, cleaning tablets, or chewies).

Will my HSA cover teeth whitening?

Because teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure without medical necessity, both in-office services and take-home whitening are not eligible for HSA expenses. Concurrently, these are also typically not covered by dental insurance as they are not medically necessary.

Can my HSA cover crowns or veneers?

Typically, yes, although a crown or veneer can be considered partially cosmetic, often, times patients do have a dental need to place crowns for previous decay, protection from further damage, or even to have a proper "bite" or occlusion so they won't further damage opposing teeth. If you are considering veneers or crowns and wondering if your case would qualify for HSA eligibility, please call us to schedule a consultation appointment. Additionally, if you are using dental insurance, a paired approval of the dental claim in the form of an "Explanation of Benefits" would also support the validation of clinical necessity.

Using HSA to pay for nightguards and mouthguards

If you have been diagnosed with teeth grinding or “bruxism” and need a nightguard, this is a great way to utilize your HSA funds. Whether it is an "over the counter" nightguard or a custom-made one like the 3D-printed nightguards at our office, they would be eligible for the expense. In addition, if you or your child engage in team and contact sports, an athletic guard would be another great way to utilize HSA funds to protect their teeth during sports.

If you have any questions about Winter Park dental services and whether they are HSA eligible, please don't hesitate to call us or send your request online.

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