Why Are Dental Implants So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)

 

If you are missing teeth, it can be a problem for eating, speaking, and for the way your mouth looks as well.

Dental implants are a solution for those who are missing a tooth.

When you get a dental implant, you are getting a permanent solution to your tooth problem.

The issue with dental implants is that they are very expensive.

The expense seems to be worth it for most people, but it is helpful to understand why these prices are so high.

Let’s take a look at the top ten reasons that dental implants are so expensive.

 

Why Are Dental Implants So Expensive?

 

1. Surgical Procedure

 

Many people don’t realize that getting a dental implant is actually a surgical procedure.

Since this is surgery, it will cost quite a bit more money than a simple dental procedure which is not considered surgery.

When dental surgery is performed, there are going to be more precautions taken and more staff involved as well.

This makes the price go up.

There are usually more materials and medicines used in surgery as well.

These will also increase the cost.

Dental implants also take quite a bit of time.

When you are in surgery, you are usually billed for the amount of time it takes to complete the surgery as well.

The combination of all these factors is going to significantly increase the cost you pay for implants.

Although dental implants don’t tend to be a dangerous surgery, from the standpoint of the cost, it is going to be relatively high.

 

2. Longevity of Implants

 

A dental implant is a permanent option for replacing a tooth.

You will not have to worry about getting more implants or having issues with the teeth that are implanted.

With a long-term option like this, you are going to save yourself some money in the long run.

The hard part about teeth is that, as you get older, they get more challenging to take care of.

If you can have implants instead of teeth as you get older, you will save quite a bit of money.

Implants will be resistant to decay and damage and will take you long into your senior years without any trouble.

The longevity of these implants certainly helps them to be more cost-effective as time goes on.

Although you may feel as though you are paying a high upfront price, you may save money down the line.

The money you save can help you long term.

You can make better predictions about your dental costs in the future if you are able to plan for these implants and the impact they will have.

Try not to think of implants as a one-time purchase, but instead, as a lifelong purchase.

Of course, something built to last you the rest of your life will be quite expensive.

The length of time the dental implants are intended to work is undoubtedly a significant reason they cost so much.

 

3. Superior to Other Options

 

If you don’t go for dental implants to replace a tooth, your other options are not quite as good.

Of course, you have the option just to leave the space in your mouth.

Most people are not going to want to do this because it will affect many things in life, like speaking and eating.

Another option you will have is a dental bridge.

The bridge will go across two of your healthy teeth and allow the fake tooth to fit in between.

A bridge is also a costly procedure but not quite as expensive as the implants.

With a bridge, you can expect for it to be a mostly permanent option, but this is not always the case.

The other problem with a bridge is that the dentist will probably have to do quite a bit of work on your other teeth to get the bridge to work.

If you don’t want to do anything to two healthy teeth, you should not choose the bridge.

Another option is a partial denture.

The partial denture is going to be the cheapest option, but it is also the hardest to take care of.

When you have a partial denture, you will need to take it out to clean it.

This process gets time-consuming, and it is something most people do not want to deal with for the rest of their lives.

 

4. Cosmetic Procedure

 

Have you noticed that many cosmetic procedures are priced higher than other procedures?

This is because you have a choice whether to get implants or not.

Not all people will require implants, and some don’t want to get them at all.

Those who do are going to have to pay more because it is considered a cosmetic procedure.

Insurance companies and dentists believe that, the majority of the time, a person is getting an implant because they want to, not because they need to.

A cosmetic procedure does not usually deal with life and death, and therefore, it will not be covered as often by insurance companies.

Insurance companies mostly want to deal with the issues that are going to affect a person’s health and wellness.

When it comes to looking better or being more convenient, the chance of an insurance company paying for it will probably be much less likely.

Cosmetic procedures are always going to be expensive.

 

5. Dentist Labor

 

Dentists are expensive to go to.

A person has to go to a lot of schools to become a dentist, and they will need to be compensated for their time when they are working on implants.

The labor for a dentist is high because of the education they had to go through to get to the point they are in life.

The dentist is the only person who is going to be able to install your implants.

They are well known for their ability to handle this type of complex dental work, and this is because of the training they have.

If you want implants, you are going to have to pay for a dentist to do it.

You will not have the option of going to another provider or having a dental hygienist handle it.

This process is specific to the specialties and the training of a dentist.

As you look for a dentist to handle your implants, you may find that some charge more than others.

Sometimes you will see that the resumé of one dentist stands out when compared to that of another.

This is one reason the pricing may vary.

Also, some dentist offices just have higher overhead than others.

These higher overhead costs are going to end up making this procedure more expensive for you.

Some dentists are new to the business and are trying to establish a clientele, so they may charge a bit less.

Others are well established as the best in town and could charge quite a bit more.

Regardless of where you choose to have your implants done, you are going to pay a lot of money for the labor of the dentist.

 

6. Additional Features and Procedure Required

 

When you have dental implants put in, chances you are going to need other dental work done.

First of all, they will need to determine if you are even eligible for implants.

By doing an x-ray of your jaw, a dentist can determine if your mouth will accept implants.

If your jawline is not set up correctly, then these implants may not be an option.

The appointments for these consultations, cleanings, teeth inspections, and x-rays are all going to add to the overall cost of your implants.

You will be charged for everything even if you don’t end up moving forward with the implant procedure.

This is important to keep in mind before you head down this route.

Many people will get their teeth whitened and have other work done in addition to receiving their implants.

Having everything done at once can sometimes make more sense as opposed to having to go back in for future procedures.

Clearly, this will also add to your total bill for dental implants.

 

7. Multiple Dentist Appointments

 

Although it would be great if you could go in for your dentist appointment and come out with new teeth in a matter of an hour, this is not the way that it goes.

Unfortunately, to get dental implants, you will be spending quite a bit of time at the dentist’s office.

There will be appointments prior to the implants being put in, times when you have to go in for implant procedures, and then follow-up as well.

The process is time-consuming, and it is costly.

Every time you step into the dentist’s office, you are going to get charged for it.

The prices will vary depending on the type of appointment as well as the length of the appointment.

When you go in for a dental implant, you must prepare to become very comfortable paying for dentist appointments.

Some dentist offices will group the entire package together as one large cost for implants.

Others are going to charge individual amounts for each appointment on top of the total cost of the implant itself.

Either way, the appointments are going to add up in cost and eventually reach a large sum of money.

 

8. Titanium Material

 

Implants are made with a very strong titanium material.

Titanium is difficult to manufacture, and it is made to last for a very long time.

This makes the cost of the implant very high.

In addition to the fact that the implants are made of a material which is difficult to manufacture, they also have to be made to fit a person exactly.

All implants are unique to the individual who is receiving them.

When an implant is made, it has to go through an extensive process, and it must be manufactured to fit precisely as it needs to in a person’s mouth.

This process is time consuming and costly.

Overall, the markup is quite high in this industry as well.

Therefore, not only will you be paying a lot for your implants, but even your dentist has to pay quite a bit to get the implants for you.

There is not much that can be done about this, as the quality of the material is partly what makes implants work so well.

If the implants were not titanium, you might not get the same quality and longevity that you are getting currently.

As much as people don’t like to pay these high prices, most won’t want implants that are going to fall out either.

 

9. Insurance/No Insurance

 

Some companies will help to pay for the costs of implants, and some will not.

For those that pay for implants, you will still have some out-of-pocket costs.

There will likely be deductibles to hit and some kind of coinsurance as well.

Although it will be nice to have part of the process paid for, it certainly won’t cover the entire thing.

Most of the time, insurance won’t cover the implants at all.

Sometimes a dentist can figure out a way to consider part of your implants medically necessary, but for the most part, this is not an insurance claim you will be able to submit.

This leaves people with the difficult decision of determining if the implants are really worth the cost.

When you are looking at spending $20,000 or more, it can be a difficult decision to make.

Some dentists will offer payment plans, and that can be helpful, but it can also cause problems for people in the long term.

We will get into a bit more about financing in our next section.

 

10. Financing

 

Some dentist’s offices are going to offer financing for your implants.

Financing will help to decrease the initial cost of the implants.

However, what some people don’t realize is that it will increase the overall cost of the implants.

The financing options are always going to include some type of interest.

These interest payments will add up over time.

Even if the interest is low, you will still end up paying a much larger amount for the implants than the original quote.

The interest is charged because you are essentially getting a loan from the dentist to cover the costs involved.

Certainly, there is some risk and inconvenience for them, so there is a reason that interest is charged.

If you have a plan to pay off the implants in a short period of time, then you don’t need to be too concerned about the financing charges.

If, however, you think it is going to be difficult for you to pay for the implants, be careful going forward with financing.

What you pay for interest over a long period of time will be like paying for another set of implants!

 

Conclusion

We hope that you have a better idea of why dental implants are so expensive.

Sometimes you will have no choice but to figure out a way to pay for them.

For other people who are looking for implants for purely cosmetic reasons, the price may make you reconsider.

Although there is not much that can be done to decrease the cost of the implants, you can compare rates from one provider to the next.