Malocclusion Severity Index

Many insurances, Medical/Dentical included, require the patient to have a specific amount of “severity’ for their malocclusion (bad-bite), in order to offer financial assistance and or coverage for orthodontic treatment. These requirements focus primarily on the severity of the bite and damage to the oral environment. They usually do not take into account smile esthetics or the psycho-social benefits of orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment can have a significant improvement to a person’s quality of life. This is the reason we offer very affordable payment options, so that we never let finances stand in the way of a confident smile.

Below is the Handicapping Index for the California Denti-Cal Program followed by examples of patients that have qualified for this program.

(*In office scoring by our doctors is not a guarantee of coverage as only the official Reviewers/Adjudicators at the state level can either accept or deny coverage.)

Malocclusion severity index

Automatic Qualifying Conditions

Cleft Palate

1. Cleft Palate

Craniofacial anomaly

2. Cranio-facial Anomoly

Deep impinging overbite

3. Deep, Impinging Overbite

Anterior crossbite

4. Anterior Crossbite Tissue Destruction

Severe Traumatic Deviation

5. Severe Traumatic Deviation

Severe Overbite

6. Severe Overbite Lip Incompetence