ACC Dental Injury Claims
Here in New Zealand, we are fortunate to have ACC to help us when we are injured in an accident. Did you know that ACC can also help with accidental dental injuries? Here is everything you need to know:
Is my injury covered by ACC?
ACC has specific criteria for dental injuries which must be met in order to receive cover. ACC won’t cover injuries related to food or eating; if you broke your tooth or filling eating something hard, then unfortunately ACC can’t help. Otherwise, ACC generally covers all injuries, however it is important to note that injuries to teeth that have been heavily treated in the past may not be fully covered.
Treatment for your injury must occur in New Zealand. If you break a tooth overseas and have it temporarily fixed there, ACC won’t cover you to continue treatment in New Zealand. You can receive cover for an injury which occurred overseas only if you are a New Zealand resident, but non-residents will be pleased to know ACC can help them if they are injured in New Zealand.
You must submit a claim for your injury within 12 months of sustaining it in order to receive cover, but it is best to be seen by an ACC provider as soon as possible following your injury. All of our dentists here at Real Dentistry are ACC providers, and will be able to help you document your injury and submit your claim. If you dislodged a tooth while falling off a trampoline, or if you were tackled hard during a rugby game and now have tooth ache, ACC and Real Dentistry will be able to help.
How do I submit an ACC claim?
If you have suffered an accidental injury, simply book an appointment for an ACC injury with one of our Wellington dentists. In your appointment we will help you to fill out a claim form, and will take x-rays and photos to document your injury. You will need to know the time and date of your injury, as well as when and how it occurred. It is best to be seen as soon as possible following your accident. We will also discuss with you if any treatment needs to occur and what to do next from here. Our team will submit the claim for you on your behalf, and ACC will be in touch with you to update you on your claim.
How can ACC help?
ACC helps by contributing towards the cost of your treatment. Unfortunately, when it comes to dental care ACC does not fully cover the cost of treatment, so there is still a portion for the patient to pay even if the patient is under the age of 18. The dentist will be able to advise you how much you can expect to pay once you have been assessed in your initial visit. ACC covers most treatment services but will only help pay for the teeth covered under the claim. Some services such as Oral Hygienist visits are not covered by ACC, as these treatments aren’t ever required as a result of injury.
Once your claim has been accepted that tooth is covered for life for treatments relating to your claim. That means if you break a tooth and have it crowned under ACC, if that crown ever needs replacing in future it will still be covered by ACC. That’s why it is worth submitting a claim to ACC even if no treatment is required yet. Sometimes a knocked tooth can be fine initially following the injury, but down the line can develop infection in the root. If you missed out on submitting the claim at time of injury you may miss out on cover for treatment going forward.
If you have suffered a dental injury and are looking to file a claim with ACC, get in touch with our friendly Wellington dental clinic today. We always have space available for dental emergencies, just give us a call.
