I need to get about three dental implants, but need something affordable. I wondered if the zirconia would be cheaper than the titanium implants? If not, what is the best way to get some cheap implants?
Kevin
Dear Kevin,
Zirconia costs the dentist a little more than does titanium. This increase in cost will likely be passed on to the patient, so I would not say this would be the way for you to get a “cheap” dental implant.
I want to sort of get a bit nit-picky here for a moment. You want to make a distinction between cheap dental implants and affordable dental implants. You definitely would not want a cheap dental implant. These generally fail the patient and sometimes can cause even more problems. Affordable, on the other hand, will not necessarily mean a problem.
Cheap Versus Affordable Dental Implants
So what is the big difference between cheap and affordable dental implants? Generally, the integrity and/or skill of the dentist. For example, if one dentist is significantly less expensive than the remainder of dentists in the same area, it is usually for one of three reasons:
- They are an unskilled or bad mannered dentist who has trouble retaining patients, so they have to undercut the other dentists in their area in order to consistently draw in new patients.
- He is a brand new dentist or a dentist new at dental implants and needs to draw in patients in order to gain experience.
- He is an unethical dentist who lowers his prices to undercut his peers but uses substandard materials to keep up his profits.
In the first case, you will either have an unpleasant experience or a disastrous experience. When a dental implant procedure goes badly, it can lead to serious infections that can even cost you the loss of part of your jaw.
The second case is the best of the three scenarios. It can work out okay, but is a risk. Everyone has to start somewhere with a new skill. If you like their dental implant training credentials, it might be worth it.
In the third case, you will almost definitely have dental implant failure, if not something worse.
Affordable dental implants would mean a quality dentist who is willing to work with you on payment plans. If you were needing a full set of teeth, then getting snap-on dentures would be the least expensive option. The best option would be implant overdentures that you are able to pay out over time.
As you just need three dental implants a payment plan is your ideal option.
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