I am asked this question all the time when I quote a treatment plan containing dental implants. I have to agree with the patient that yes, it is a lot of money, but when one looks at the value that one gets back after having one or more missing teeth replaced by implants, it becomes less of a complaint that dental implants are “expensive”. If you look at it, dentistry is the only healthcare specialty that offers the patient back completely a missing or damged part of their body(teeth) with full function and full estetics( even better estetics with cosmetic dentistry). A person who is 100 years old can have teeth replaced with teeth that function and look like in a 20 years old person( even nicer). No other medical profession can give a patient so much. So the value of the dental implants is priceless. Most of the patients who were missing teeth for long time say after they had dental implants done ” how did I leave without them before?”.
Also, dental implants are expensive because of the amount of work and professionals involved in making the procedure happen. Some patients think that the dentist gets paid for couple hours of work while doing the implant, taking the impression, delivering the tooth, etc…There is more to it than that. First, it takes a lot planning and analysis that happen when the patient is not in the office. After the dentist takes the xrays, impressions, photos, CT scan as needed, there is a lot of work to determine what kind of implant is going to be used in order to fit the patient because each patient is different. After the implant is placed, a temporary tooth might or might not be used depending on the torque of the implant. Then a new impression is taken(called the final impression), based on which the lab is going to make the abutment and the tooth. The lab parts are costly( because they contain high precious metals like gold, silver and platinum) and also the lab procedure is costly because it involves highly qualified Certified Dental Technicians. On top of that the price of the dental implants themselves is very high, especially if they come from a reputable company which offers lifetime warranty. So there are a lot more things and people involved in the process(“behing the curtain”) than patients think. Even with the cost of living getting higher every year during the past 7-10 years, the price of dental implants stayed the same. Yes, with the money you would pay for a dental implant, you could go on a nice vacation or put a downpayment for a car, but for the money you pay, dental implants offer you the best long term value. There’s no question about that.
How to afford dental implants?
Despite their high price, with some discipline, dental implants can be afforded:
Apply for Care Credit or Springstone. If your credit score is not that good, you can have someone with a good score coapply with you.
Cut down the monthly expenses of cable, cigarettes, coffee,etc…If you add up all those expenses on the monthy or yearly basis, you would be surprised on how much you spend on those.
Find a dental implant provider who does all the phases of the implant procedures(surgical, restorative and follow up).
If you need a tooth or more teeth replaced, please contact my South Jersey Dental Implant Office, Sewell Dental Arts at 856-582-2220 and schedule a free consultation with me. I will be happy to meet you, know you and help you. Dr. Pastiu