Dental implant procedure is becoming a commonplace today in the USA. The relative simplicity compared to root canal and crown treatment, a minimal chance of complications, and modern implant materials and procedures are making dental implant service a viable alternative to root canal and crown or a dental bridge. The question remains, and is asked of Dental Cool a lot: Can I get dental implants affordably.
With the price of an implant ranging from $1500 to $3000 or more for a single tooth, combined with the fact that many patients require several implants, the dental implants procedure is not cheap. How can you save money on dental implants?
One way of course is to shop around. Dentists determine their own price based on their cost, area in which they do business, within the general guidelines from American Dental Association. In this economy where access to capital is quite limited, a dentist may give you a lower price in exchange for a cash payment or a payment in a few installments.
The second way is to purchase a dental insurance that covers dental implants. Recently, several insurances are offering coverage for dental implants. This was not the case in the past when only the highest-level insurances even included dental implants. When picking up a dental insurance, watch for several "details" usually buried in the small print that could cost you dearly: Look into and ask about the "exclusion clauses". Do the exclusion clauses include dental implants or crowns? Look into "waiting periods". Are waiting periods pertaining to dental implants? They can be a year, sometimes two years long. Thirdly, what are the annual maximums of the given dental implant insurance plan? Are they comparable to the total cost of the dental implant work that you need? And, last, make sure you have qualified dentists in your area that are trained and perform dental implant surgery routinely.
The third and the simplest way to reduce cost of your dental implants is to purchase a solid, nationwide discount dental plan. Most of nationwide discount dental plans include dental implants. The savings will be anywhere from 15% to 25% on the implant work and 25% to 65% on the associated crown work. There is no question about "exclusion clauses" with dental implant discount plans - most of them include implant work. There are no waiting periods - you can use the plan as soon as you receive your package with the plan cards in the mail. Also, if you do need several dental implants, there are no annual maximums so there will be no surprises. With the discount dental plans for dental implants you are expected to pay the discounted price at the time of service. However, usually a dentist will probably be able to extend a payment plan to you. This will further help your finances. And, just like with the dental implant insurances, be sure to have a qualified local dentist or specialist in the network. A dentist you can trust and who has a solid record of performing dental implant procedures.
The three ways you can save money on dental implants do not preclude each other. You can use one of them and you can use all three of them for the same implant procedure. You can shop around for a great dentist that will take both your dental implant insurance and dental implant discount plan. Just make sure the dentist office participates with all the plans that you purchase.
--Dental Cool
Recommended Links
Check for participating dentists with dental implant insurance plans here.
Check for participating dentists with dental implant discount plans here.