The High Authority for Health (HAS) ruled on Wednesday for the reimbursement of dental implants, a type of prosthesis deeper than crowns or dentures, which are already partially covered by Social Security.
The HAS, which evaluated "implant-prosthetic care" in cases of missing teeth, "is today in favor of reimbursing these procedures in the general population," it announced in a press release.
Currently, Social Security only reimburses relatively light prostheses: dentures, when all the teeth are missing, and bridges and crowns when it comes to replacing or concealing an isolated tooth.
Implants, on the other hand, go deeper. While a bridge, for example, simply rests on the surrounding teeth, an implant penetrates into the gum.
These implants are currently not reimbursed, although nearly a million of them will be performed per year in France in 2023, according to HAS figures.
However, "the number of people affected by the loss of one or even all of their teeth is set to increase," the authority emphasizes, calling for reimbursement in the name of improving access to care.
The HAS, which gives recommendations independently of the government but is often followed by it, also sets a precise care pathway in order to combat the excesses of "low-cost" dental centers.
If these recommendations are followed, however, the question will arise of the exact extent of the support.
Currently, the reimbursement of dentures is capped by Social Security, which in fact results in leaving a large part to the patient's mutual insurance company.
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