Have you ever wondered how much it costs to get a Hollywood-ready smile makeover like the ones you see on TV? While the cost of dental treatments can cost tens of thousands of dollars in some situations, it’s usually when expensive procedures are combined together for multiple (or all of the) teeth. Here are the five most expensive dental procedures you might be familiar with:
Porcelain Veneers
Cosmetic dental treatment is practically never covered under your dental insurance. As such, it’s usually seen as more “expensive” because you’re paying for the process out of your own pocket. When it comes to the types of aesthetic treatments available, porcelain veneers are usually at the top of the list in regard to pricing.
Veneer patients will tell you that they’re worth every penny. Deemed to be “instant braces,” veneers give you and drastically whiter, straighter smile in just a couple of appointments. When it comes to your confidence and self-esteem, the treatment is priceless.
Unfortunately, that “priceless” price tag can bite. The best way to make the process affordable is to ask about an in-office financing program or use a discount plan that includes elective treatments (like cosmetic dentistry.)
Dental Implants
If you want to know which type of dental procedure offers the best “return on investment,” it’s likely going to be dental implants. Implants, by design, fuse with your jaw and function the way a natural tooth would. In the majority of cases, you can expect your implants to last for the rest of your life. That being said, the up-front cost is usually more than alternative treatments like bridges or dentures. But don’t let the price tag fool you; even though you’re paying more at the beginning, you’re saving multiple visits in the future and hundreds of dollars in new dental work when the old restorations wear out.
Braces
Orthodontic therapy may seem like an “elective” treatment, but the investment can help you boost your oral health and preserve existing dental work. Overall, it’s a smart investment in the future of you or your child’s smile. Even then, it can cost $2,000-$6,000 easily, depending on the type of braces you get and how long your treatment lasts.
Ask the dentist or orthodontist about the various types of braces that are available for you to choose from. Your insurance may pay just a flat amount per year, or have age restrictions. Once you know what’s covered, you can make a better-informed choice about how much you’ll be investing in the treatment.
The majority of dentists or orthodontist will offer a month-to-month payment option on any balances leftover after your insurance benefits have kicked in.
Oral Surgery
Wisdom tooth removal is one of the most common types of oral surgery that people need, but it’s not the only one. Sinus lifts or jaw surgery may be necessary steps in treatments like implant therapy or orthodontic cases. When surgery is needed, so is the right operatory environment and sedation services. Together, these procedures can add up to a big dental bill if you don’t have insurance. Ask about alternatives (such as mini implants, or local anesthesia vs. General anesthesia) and you could potentially save hundreds of dollars if you don’t have coverage.
Dental Crowns
Monetarily speaking, dental crowns don’t cost as much as a lot of other treatments out there do…but they seem more expensive because they cost more than fillings and aren’t covered at as high of a rate by most insurance plans. As a result, people tend to put them off longer, which is easy to do if your tooth isn’t hurting at that point in time. The problem here is that the situation becomes even more expensive, because the tooth will wind up cracking or developing an abscess…meaning that you need a crown and a root canal, doubling the cost of your original treatment. Get your treatment completed sooner (even if it’s a filling) so that you can preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible.
Get Discounts on Most Major Dental Treatments…Including These!
The truth is, no matter how much your dental insurance covers, the annual maximum allowable (the yearly limit your plan will pay out) has remained around $1,500 industry-wide for nearly four decades, never increasing with inflation the way medical insurance has. As such, it makes dental treatments seem more expensive than they are, because a larger portion has to be paid for directly by the patient.
At LowerMyDentalBills.com, we have an affordable way to reduce the cost of these five most expensive dental treatments, and dozens of others. It’s called a “dental savings plan” and it’s an economically savvy alternative to conventional insurance plans. These discount dental programs allow enrollees to save 10-60% on treatments — including braces and cosmetic dentistry — without any annual limits or waiting periods. Contact our program specialists today to find out how you can start saving on the dental services you want and need.
