Costs Shouldn’t Decide Your Choice in Dental Implant Provider

It’s tempting to shop for dental implants based on their cost.  There are also dental implant chains like ClearChoice and Teeth Tomorrow that specifically market low-cost dental implants, but it’s important to factor in all aspects of care before making your decision. Some procedures and restorations–like All-on-4–promote low cost as a selling point, but you need to make sure the procedure offers you a good value and not just a low cost.

As consumers, we are conditioned that cost is our most important consideration, but when it comes to dental implants, there are several reasons why this isn’t a good idea:

  • No two procedures are identical
  • Savings are minimal over time
  • A cheap procedure can be more expensive later
  • Your health is literally priceless

First, it’s important to understand that no two dental procedures are exactly identical. Even if two dentists quote you prices based on the same implants, the same restorations, and the same surgical procedures, the dentists are still different. And that can make a significant difference in your procedure and your results. You will always have to judge these quotes on the basis of their value, not simply their cost.

You have to understand that a dental implant can be for life, and, as such, any cost savings today can be minimal over time. Let’s say that you manage to save $2000 on your dental implant procedure. If your dental implants last for 20 years, as about 90% are expected to, then your savings is only $100 a year, literally pennies a day (okay, a quarter and two pennies). Negligible.

And it’s worse, because those $2000 you save today can easily be eaten up if you have complications. Revision procedures can be as expensive as or more expensive than your original procedure. And when you add in the time and hassle to make additional follow-up appointments, pain or discomfort, and having to live with less-than-desirable results, the cost of your “cheap” procedure is much, much higher. It’s never worth it to save money if you don’t have full confidence that you are going to get a quality procedure.

And this leads us to our final and most important concern: your health. No amount of savings is worth putting your health at risk. Never, ever try to save money by working with a dentist who doesn’t give you full confidence in their ability to provide you with a successful dental implant procedure.

You Should Get Multiple Quotes

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to multiple dentist and compare costs. With a major procedure like dental implants, it’s important to get second opinions, anyway, to decide which is the right procedure for you. Two opinions about your dental implant procedure should be considered your minimum, and if there is significant disagreement about the procedure or price, you should get a third. And you should keep getting costs until you have at least one dentist who gives you full confidence.

How to Reconcile Quotes

How do you compare the costs you’ve received? First, it’s important to make sure you’re comparing like to like. Run through the four aspects of dental implant costs to see where the disparity is:

  • Implant-related factors
  • Procedure-related factors
  • Restoration-related factors
  • Dentist-related factors

Different dentists will recommend different dental implants, and sometimes even a different size or number of implants. The brand of the implants, the size, and the number will all impact their cost.

Your costs may be for significantly different procedures. One dentist may recommend a bone graft, another may not. One dentist may include gum disease treatment, while another may stipulate that you need to get treatment from another dentist before your implant procedure. Some dentists may include the cost of follow-up visits in your initial quote, while others may expect those to be paid for separately.

Your restorations are the visible part of your dental implant, and to a great degree they determine the attractiveness of your dental implants as well as their function. Restorations come in a wide range of qualities and costs. Understand what type of restoration you are getting, whether it’s a cheap plastic denture or a high-end denture like neuromuscular dentures. You can often tell the difference if you look at smile gallery pictures. Is the denture securely fixed, such as a dental hybrid, which gives the best bite force but has to be durable to stand up to those forces? Or is it removable, which may be made of lower-quality material?

As we said, your dentist will make a big difference in the quality of your procedure as well as the cost. Some of the factors to consider include:

  • Training
  • Experience
  • Technology
  • Quality of results

And, of course, you have to factor in your feelings about each of the dentists. These matter–you will be working with a dentist for a long time and need to feel comfortable with them.

Follow up on Quotes

Once you’ve broken down the costs and gotten a good idea about what makes them different, take a quote you’ve gotten from one dentist to another dentist. Ask them to account for the difference and why their procedure is better for you. A dentist might acknowledge that they can make their procedure more like another quote you have received, without significantly affecting your final results.

Once you have compared your costs, work with the dentist who gives you the most confidence that you will receive quality results: attractive, functional dental implants that will last a long time.

Are You Looking for a Dental Implant Quote in Savannah?

If you are considering dental implants in Savannah and want Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, please call (912) 234-8282 today for an appointment at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry today.