Does Workers Compensation Cover Dental Injuries?

For instance, have you ever considered the possibility of suffering a workplace dental injury?

How Can Your Work Ruin Your Teeth?

Dental injuries can be vast, but some are caused by your job. The most common examples of work-related dental injuries are:

• Broken teeth

• Loose teeth

• Chipped teeth

• Permanent tooth loss

These usually result because of trauma, when you fall and your face hits the ground, or when an object hits you on the mouth directly.

Of course, some dental problems aren’t covered by worker's compensation. These are the ones that cannot be reasonably caused by your work activity. For example, having cavities has more to do with your dental hygiene routine than your work, unless your job involves testing a lot of sweets on a regular basis.

Dental Work Is Expensive

Dental work is notoriously expensive. The more treatment you need, the more money you have to pay. Fixing a chipped tooth, for example, can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on how much work the dentist must put in to fix the problem.

As a result, if your dental injury is caused by an event at work, you should file a worker’s compensation claim to get it fixed quickly. Workers' compensation laws in Missouri focus mostly on the nature of the injury (if it is work-related or not), and less on the type of injury, or where it is located on your body.

To get compensated, you have to notify your employer of your injury. They will file an injury report and give you the contact for your worker’s compensation dentist to get treated. Once you inform your employer, all you have to do is follow treatment. The insurance company will handle the payments.

Note that some dental injuries may not become apparent right away. If you hit your mouth area, some teeth may be sore for a while, but you can expect the level of pain to grow significantly, and for swelling to appear as well. You should not encounter any issues even if it takes a few days to file the report, as the limit to report your injury is 30 days from the day the injury took place.

Speak With an Experienced Workers Compensation Attorney

Are you having a difficult time getting worker’s comp for dental injuries? Sometimes cases aren’t so straightforward, and injured workers may encounter pushback from insurance companies or employers. Please reach out to a St. Louis worker’s compensation lawyer for a case consultation to see what are the best legal steps to take in order to get compensated. Call (314) 361-4300 for a FREE consultation 24/7.