Transcription
Lots of questions about the cost of dental implants. So what affects the cost?
Um, we have eight main things that affect the cost. Um, one of the biggest ones is the number of doctors and locations involved. So the way this is usually done is, um, you have, you meet your dentist and you place, you, they, they send you out to have the implant placed or the bone graft, and then you come back to have the teeth placed. So having multiple sites that you go to, um, increases the cost, and you don't actually know what the cost is because there are so many people involved.
So at your office, it's one doctor, one fee.
Yeah. And we do it all right here, and we, um, we own the lab on-site, so we don't have to deal with that lab fee either. So that helps us be more efficient, and it's, it's a lot faster too. So we're not sending those back and forth.
Okay.
Um, next thing is the type of implant. There are hundreds and hundreds of types of implants out there depending on the type of bone that's there, um, uh, where the implant is, and, and so that, that can affect the cost greatly.
Okay.
Um, another thing is, oh, and well, the quality of the implant. There are, um, there are these new places out there that are, um, I'm not sure even where these implants are made, but we're using the top of the notch, the gold standard for implants.
It's not that much more to use the right ones. You told.
I mean, they're the right ones. And when you, to be honest, when you do, when it's all you do every day, um, and you buy as many as I do, like we, we get a good fee for them because we do so many. So, it's no big deal to use the best there is for me.
Okay.
Um, [snorts] and the next thing is the lab bill. Um, it used to be, uh, 20 years ago when I would do this, I had to send these cases out, and there's a huge lab bill when you get that back. Like that was a huge part of our cost every month. Um, and then.
Is that how it's typically done though? Almost all dentists do it that way. They send them out.
Yeah, everybody sends it out to a lab, but we have our own lab on-site. So we, so basically I absorb the cost of that, and if there's ever an issue with something, then I can just make another one upstairs in minutes, um, versus sending it back out and having to wait three, three weeks for that.
Does it also take more time, like the back and forth with the lab sometimes?
Mail it back and forth, and, and, and it's like having the patient right there, and having the lab technicians right there for like shade matching and shape and flow, like it's huge. The quality is, is up there, and, and, and the cost is, like we absorb that.
So look for a dentist that actually has.
Has a lab on-site and has on-site lab technicians.
Okay. What else affects the cost?
Um, next one is insurance coverage.
Yeah. What does it cover? I say, I mean, the, the Medicaid Medicare is not going to cover this. Um, your typical insurance plans, like we work with them, and they'll cover $1,000 to $2,000 of this, but for the most part, they're not going to cover more than that.
But you say people finance.
I mean, most, most of our patients do financing plans. So if you have, uh, decent credit, you come in, and we'll get you approved, and we can spread the cost out over many years.
Now, now, what about co-signers for people with credit problems?
Yeah. You know, most of the time, like we, if you got somebody with you, a spouse or a parent, we have somebody co-sign, and that usually pushes it through right away.
Is that right?
Yeah. Makes it easier. Um, the next one is, um, snap-in denture versus fixed teeth.
You make a face when you say snap-in denture.
I just, I feel bad because I just see these poor patients come in, and they, they've paid a ton of money, and they're still financing in, and the thing's removable. There's a lot of these, um.
So, it's still a denture.
There's some of these young. Yeah. To me, it's a denture, and it snaps over some existing implants, and people are paying a ton of money for them. And some of these, um, younger dentists that have been only doing this a couple years, it's, it's not that hard to do, and doesn't last very long, and it's the quality isn't what we want, but there are people out there getting them, and they come to me, and they're looking to get out of them.
So, a lot of the low prices we see because, look, we talk about this. You're about 10, 15% less, uh, than others, than the national average. But when you see some of these low prices, they're just snap-on dentures.
I mean, I, I. Is that right?
Yeah. Or temporary teeth, or it's, um, to me, it's, I almost consider it like, I know what the costs are when you're using the top of the implants, and when you've got your own lab, like I see some of these fees out there, and I know it's kind of like a bait and switch, like you, it'll get you to come in, but.
You think it's misleading, a, I mean, to me, it's a little unethical. I like to just let people know what the fee is going to be. Like, if you're going to come in, like you need to know what you're getting. Is it going to be permanent teeth or temporary teeth? Do you have to pay extra for sedation and, um, numbing and, uh, like, it's, what are you going to get for.
And that's going on?
Yeah. I, I see this all the time where people come in, like somebody, yeah. I just had a lady that came in, and she was in a snap-in, and that's not what she was described she was going to get. Or they get these, um, or, or the type of implants that they use. I'm seeing these kind of tiny little short ones that haven't done this for 25 years. Case to cut corners for dentists on this.
Yeah, there's these, like, there's always some new cheap implant company that's pumping these things out, and, and I just don't feel comfortable using.
Is your goal to make it like to do it once, like even if they're in their 30s or 40s, and it lasts a lifetime if they take care of them?
I like, I've been having been doing cases for 25 years now. I want these cases to last, last a lifetime. Do you have any, uh, of your patients that you did like 10, 15, 20 years ago that.
I have cases for, I have, I think my first full mouth implant one was 23 years ago, and we're still, implants are all still in there, doing solid. Um, at some point, we, um, a material for the teeth that came out was, um, better and upgraded. So I think we, um, quickly unscrewed the teeth and screwed the new teeth into the implants and upgraded the teeth a few years ago, but the implants are, and the bone is still rock solid when you do it the right way.
Now, what about experience? It seems like an obvious one, but why does that play a role in the overall cost?
I mean, I've, I've done over 15,000 implants and over 5,000 full arches of this, and, um, you get better. You, you watch your cases over time, and you see how they hold up over the years, and you, and you, and you learn, and you get better and better. I mean, we're fast, and we're efficient, and I want to do it once, and I want to do it right. Experience matters.
And the fact that you have it in-house, and that's why you could be a little less, less expensive.
Yeah. I mean, I quickly learn corporate offices, I mean, to me, quality-wise, I learned that like if you ever, if, if heaven forbid, you put something, I mean, anybody that has dentistry done knows that sometimes you get something in your mouth and you're like, "Oh, that's kind of not what I expected," and the dentist goes in there and adjusts and adjusts it, but at some point, would it be just better to get something right in there the first time? Sometimes you have to do that, and when you have your own lab upstairs, you can just do it right then versus mailing it out. So if you don't like the way it looks, you just press a button. I'm maybe oversimplifying it, but on the computer.
Go redesign and print another one until you get a great prototype, and then you make the final from that. But then I'm not, I mean, in 20 years ago, I was sitting there going, "Oh man, I got to send that out, and in a month I'll have a new one, and I got to pay for it." Who pays for that? The patient? Me? Like, I, I mean, obviously I want to do right by them, but it's something you have to think about, but now I don't because I got a team dedicated to doing this.
Now, what about warranties? Because that could add to the cost. I mean, definitely go to somebody that offers a warranty.
That's included.
With that's included. Yeah. On our zirconia teeth, we offer a 10-year warranty. And if you're coming in for maintenance visits after that, we're going to take care of you over time. Like, if you've been coming to us and letting us see issues before they start, and you're taking good care of them, we're going to take care of.