There are plenty of dental practitioners out there offering you the chance to obtain free dental implants. They say that the best things in life are free but can the same be said for dental implants? The truth is yes and no. Cosmetic dental practitioners are aware of the high-cost nature of this form of surgery and some use words such as ‘free’ and ‘discounted’ to lure in new patients. This article lists a few of the methods used by dentists to lure patients into opting for these ‘free dental implants’?
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1. Labor Fees
Your dental implants dentist will tell you that your implants are free and this may well be the case however have you asked your dental implants dentist about any labor costs? The fitting of dental implants is an extremely labor-intensive process and involves a team of specialists to ensure all goes well. Your implants will be implanted for free but you may incur extreme prices for the labor and skill involved in actually fitting your implants. Often the cost you end up paying may be over what you would have spent if you just paid an upfront price at a highly reputable dental establishment.
2. Laboratory Fees
As previously stated the process of fitting dental implants is very labor intensive and involves a lot of specialist input. This specialist input and analysis can lead to laboratory fees. Be sure to ask your dental implants dentist if these laboratory fees are included in the free price.
Sometimes problems arise when fitting your implants which mean that further procedures may be necessary such as bone grafting to strengthen the jaw area which is to be implanted. Has your implants dentist included charges for other related surgeries in the ‘free’ price? Often these related surgeries can prove extremely expensive so find out what exactly your specific procedure entails before signing on the dotted line.
4. Costs of the abutment and prosthesis
So if you’ve been doing your research you will by now be aware that the term ‘dental implant’ technically only refers to the titanium screw which is implanted into the jaw and not the dental abutment or the dental prosthesis (dental crown). The crown and abutment just like the implant are made from very high spec materials and in themselves can prove extremely costly. To avoid being lumbered with large fees at the end of your procedure ask your dental implants dentist if the free price includes these components as well as the actual implant.
Taking all the above into account it is easy to conclude that the concept of free dental implants is completely bogus however the best thing to do is to make sure you are aware of the exact definition of the term ‘free’. Another way to save costs may be to opt for a specially tailored dental plan. In addition, your dental insurance may cover some of the costs. Ensure to assess all your options before deciding on the first free offer that comes your way.