Dental implants are the longest-lasting and most natural looking/functioning solution for replacing missing teeth. Unfortunately, the cost to have implants placed can be quite prohibitive since a single implant can cost thousands of dollars. Luckily, there are few ways in which a patient can obtain implants at a more affordable price.
In This Guide
- 1) Comparison Shopping
- 2) Geographic Location
- 3) Travel Abroad
- 4) Schools of Dentistry
- 5) Dental Societies and Charitable Organizations
- 6) Financing
- 7) Discount Dental Plans
- 8) Know the Alternatives
- 9) Insurance Coverage
- 10) Fundraising Campaign
- What to Read Next
1) Comparison Shopping
To find the best rates, patients should get quotes from several dentists, asking for a comprehensive breakdown of the fees and estimated total cost of the necessary consultations, imaging (x-rays or CT scans), anesthesia, modeling, surgery, materials (post, abutment and crown) as well as any additional procedures such as sinus lifts and bone grafts.
Dentists are not the only dental professionals that can be certified to perform implant procedures, so patients can get quotes from other qualified professionals including periodontists and oral surgeons. Selecting a newer dental practice may help reduce the price as a dentist who is looking to build a clientele and gain experience may charge less than a more established dentist. That said, be sure you know what to look for when you’re trying to find a good dentist.
2) Geographic Location
The cost of dental implants can vary quite significantly geographically, so patients can find savings by considering a larger geographic area. This is especially true for patients in larger cities. Dentists in urban centers generally have a higher cost of living and higher overhead costs than those in smaller towns and as a result, are more likely to quote higher prices.
3) Travel Abroad
Taking the search a step further, dental tourism has become a popular option for those searching for low cost dental implants. Developing countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Hungary and many Asian destinations offer treatment for a fraction of the price patients can expect to pay in developed countries like the United States, Canada and the UK.
This is especially useful for less severe cases in which a patient is a candidate for simultaneous implant and crown placement. While the savings can be impressive, dental tourism should be approached with caution. The licensing standards and regulations of the country in question as well as the credentials and reputation of the prospective dentist should be carefully researched.
4) Schools of Dentistry
Another option is to take part in a dental implant clinic/program held at a school of dentistry. These programs provide recently graduated dentistry school students looking to gain hands-on experience with the opportunity to perform dental implant procedures with the assistance and supervision of experienced dentists or dental surgeons. Some schools only offer this service to low income individuals – and don’t be surprised if you’re placed on a wait list. The work can take a long time (multiple visits), and the hours can be inconvenient (during working hours), but if you qualify, the wait is well worth the thousands of dollars you’ll save.
The work is typically very good quality since work done at a dental school includes quite a bit of oversight. Each diagnosis and treatment is analyzed and discussed by several students and professors. They provide the same quality treatment as professionals for a fraction of the cost since they’ve studied and practiced the procedures on models.
At the very least, these clinics are a great place to go for a second opinion.
Here are a few example schools/programs that offer implants at reduced rates (and the reader who mentioned them in brackets):
- An interview I did with Jennifer who went to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
- An interview I did with John who went to the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
- University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School (Read Susan’s comment here.)
- University of Florida College of Dentistry (Joy had a bad experience. Read her comment.)
- A.T. Still University School of Dentistry & Oral Health (Read Diana’s comment).
- And here is a list of all the schools that offer services to the public.
5) Dental Societies and Charitable Organizations
Some dental societies and non-profit charitable organizations offer free or discounted care for low income patients, often during planned events. There are also associations that provide free care for patients in specific demographic groups, such as victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, women and children. The American Dental Association lists both state and county dental associations in its online directory.
6) Financing
There are companies such as Care Credit that finance dental work, allowing a patient to receive implants and make monthly payments along with the applicable fees and interest. The main requirement to qualify for the loan is a decent credit score. Since they are the longest-lasting restoration option and typically do not require continuing dental work in the future, financing the cost (despite fees and interest) can be a great way to afford implants.
7) Discount Dental Plans
Discount dental plans are a membership-based plans in which patients pay yearly or monthly fees in order to receive discounts on dental care, ranging from 10% to 60%. Patients participating in these plans are generally required to use only affiliated dentists within the plan’s network, but the discounts can potentially take hundreds, if not thousands of dollars off of the total cost of an implant procedure.
Find out how one of our readers saved $3300 on his implants thanks to a dental discount plan.
8) Know the Alternatives
Bridges and partial dentures are the main alternatives to dental implants for replacing missing or extracted teeth. This is especially the case if there are still viable abutment teeth to support a bridge crown. They do not usually last as long as implants, but dental bridges can last an average of 15 years if they are properly cared for. Bridges are bonded to the abutment teeth so they do not need to be removed for cleaning like partial and full-mouth dentures. The drawback of a dental bridge is that the bone in the jaw supporting it under the artificial teeth will atrophy over time, eventually causing failure of the crown and bridge.
9) Insurance Coverage
Most dental insurance carriers do not cover implants because it is considered a cosmetic procedure, but company policies continue to change. Some dental insurance providers are starting to offer to pay up to the cost of similar, but less expensive procedure such as bridge or partial dentures. Insurance coverage will usually include procedures that restore functions that are compromised by the pain caused by missing teeth. If dental implants are the only procedure that can bring your oral health back to normal, then your insurance will probably cover at least a portion of it.
10) Fundraising Campaign
If you’ve tried all of the options above and found that they aren’t available in your area, don’t make the procedure affordable enough or that you’re ineligible, then you should consider starting a campaign to raise the funds using a website such as Indiegogo.com or GoFundMe.com. These services are similar to Kickstarter – the most well-known crowdfunding service – but they will allow you to raise money for a personal health matter.
Once you’ve setup a page and written an honest and detailed explanation of your situation (and maybe even created a video), you can send a link to your family, friends, co-workers, local churches and any online communities you’re a part of asking them to donate towards the cost of the dental work. Make sure that you outline how your new teeth will positively impact your life (and possibly the lives of your family) as well as exactly how the money will be spent.
Important to Remember
- Asking other people for money isn’t for everyone – especially when it is for a personal health issue. If this approach would make your or a member of your family embarrassed/uncomfortable, then it might not be a good idea.
- It isn’t advisable to pressure people, beg or ask multiple times for money.
- Before asking somebody, ask yourself: If this person asked me for money, would I donate to their cause?
What to Read Next
- Does Medicaid or Medicare Cover Dental Implants?
- Find a Dentist Using Our Clinic Locator Map
- How to Find a Dentist You Can Trust
- Dental Implant Surgery, Recovery and Aftercare Guide
- Dental Schools That Provide Dental Implants
- Dental Bridges vs Implants: Comparison of Costs & Benefits
- Dentures vs Dental Implants – Costs & Benefits
- 5 Tips to Finding Affordable, Quality Dental Implants – A Patient’s Journey
Over to You
Which of these methods did you use to save money? How much did you pay for your treatment? Leave a comment and let us know!
Jennifer:
You are truly a very misinformed person. Not everyone who is on social security is at home sitting around not “contributing.” Many work. I am on disability and I work very hard.
Now saying that, I would like to say that just because someone is on Social Security does not mean that they should be condemned to the idea of dentures, because of our “position” in life? Wow, that doesn’t sound fascist. Right now I can’t even get in to a dentist where I live because people with regular jobs have so flooded the Denti-Cal offices, I can’t even get a cavity filled. And the people I saw here, like myself, were only trying to find a cheap alternative. And, no, you are right the state of CA should not pay for implants because they won’t even pay for a normal crown, they are temporary and I was told, useless. It takes an average on a good day of five hours to get seen.
So, it is so easy for someone to think it is easy for us, there wasn’t even dental coverage for a long period of time and now that it is back all they will do is fix cavities and/or tell you that they want to pull your teeth, because they will get more money that way, and most dental needs are not covered anyway. So, that is why there are disabled people needing help on this site, and if getting dentures is our lot in life, then why don’t you tell the non-disabled people out there to stop making so little money and keeping us out of getting care. I am kidding, of course, because that is how ridiculous YOU sound to me.
I have bad teeth because of a combination of heredity (some bone loss) and medication I took before my permanent teeth came in (this stuff will rot your teeth before they even come in). I make fairly good money and am trying to save up for implants. I am assuming that I will survive with an upper denture for a year or so (my parents have done it since I was a kid). But having actual teeth in your mouth serve more of a purpose than just eating. They support the bones in your face. Without them, your bones deteriorate and you wind up with more problems than just not having a pretty smile or being able to eat. Trust me, my friend’s mother had to have steel plates put in her jaw and upper palate because she lost her teeth at 17 years old and the years with no bone support caught up with her.
We need to fight for better dental insurance instead of arguing whether this is “cosmetic”.
I’m 42 years old and due to a domestic abuse situation, have a damaged spine-the doctors attempted to treat this with steroids over the years, however not only did it not help my back much, it destroyed my mouth. I never did anything to deserve this. I took the suggestion to write my state’s dental association so I will see what they say. I technically can’t do dentures on my lower jaw due to erosion of the bone (dentures work by resting on these areas and the pressure holds them in), however the dentists said I would be okay with permanent dentures (which are clicked in pace by carefully placed implants and removed every 6 months to clean them and make sure all is well. I have 3 teenagers who although are awesome about it, I know are affected by the way this looks. I am about to go on disability due to my limited capacity to walk-my doctor wanted me to do this in 2010, I only recently agreed when it became apparent I couldn’t get work with my injuries limitations. There was a television reality series called “Smile” where they did dental procedures on people for free (upwards to $70k+ worth) however they are waiting to see if they will do a second season and I am following up on researching that as well. Good luck to all of you! 🙂
I need an implant to replace a missing tooth. My dentist is quoting me a price of over $4,000. Recently, I discovered a number of “dental implant” centers here in NYC offering complete dental implant procedures starting at about $1200 to about $2000 depending on the facility you choose. I happen to have a friend who works in the dental industry and I asked him about this and he warned me not to use the discount facilities because their materials may not be good. My question is: does anyone know if there really is a difference? Is there a benefit to going with an implant center or should play it safe and stick with my own dentist? Obviously, I want to save money if I can, but not at the cost of having a lousy procedure done that I’m going to regret down the road. Thanks.
Traveling abroad to get dental work looks like such an attractive option. I just wonder about the other travel costs that make it restrictive in its own right. Also are there certain countries that are known for their quality dental work with a lower price?