Dental implants are easily the best way to deal with tooth loss today, and yet, getting one or more implants is certainly a major dental procedure that carries with it a corresponding cost. Nonetheless, most people can find ways to afford dental implants – and without waiting long months or years.

Furthermore, implants often don’t ultimately cost any more than other less effective tooth restoration procedures – it’s just you need more money upfront. But there are ways to deal with that and still keep it all within your budget. Here’s how!

Shop Around With Different Periodontists
First of all, the cost of dental implants varies based on which state or region you live in, which periodontist you trust to do the procedure, and which exact brand or type of dental implant you choose.

The cost of going without a tooth replacement is high in terms of its detrimental health impacts, and other methods like bridges and removable dentures may require numerous dental visits that ultimately make them cost little if any less than implants.

Calling up local dental practitioners, doing some online research, and reading reviews of former patients who’ve gotten implants themselves can help you get a good idea on how much they cost and where to get the best overall deal.

Use Dental And/or Health Insurance
If you have dental insurance, chances are that dental implant surgery is covered by your policy. The details concerning copays, coinsurance, and deductibles will vary from policy to policy of course, but dental insurance is likely to save you big on this kind of procedure.

It is possible that your regular health insurance will cover the cost of implants too, but it depends on how the tooth loss occurred. If it occurred due to an accident, for example, it might be covered. Or, if the patient is under the age of 18, some policies will include dental expenses.

Most health policies won’t cover dental procedures since they are expected to be handled by dental insurance, but there are certain circumstances that can create exceptions – so be sure to investigate.

Look For Special Aid Programs
Finally, there are special aid programs that exist to assist low-income people in getting proper dental care – including, sometimes, dental implants. Some of these are reserved for children, the elderly, the disabled, or just for those with very low income and a great need.

Some examples of sources of such aid include the American Association of People with Disabilities’ (AAPD) program to help people find a “dental home,” the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Access to Care Grants, The Samuel Harris Fund, and the Oral Aesthetic Advocacy Group’s Cosmetic Dentistry Grant Program. (The federal government may support some of these and other programs but does not give direct dental-related grants to individual patients.)

A Few Other Ways To Save
There are a few other possible ways to save on dental implants. First, your dental provider may provide in-house financing or you could get a loan elsewhere to cover the expense. Second, you can sometimes deduct dental implants on Schedule A of your federal tax returns.

Third, if you have an FSA (flexible spending account) through your employer, it can be used for implants. And finally, Medicaid may pay for extractions, CAT scans and other aspects of the dental-implant procedure if not for the procedure itself. In the case of kids, SCHIP might pay for the full cost of dental care.

To learn more about dental implants or to schedule an appointment with your local periodontist, contact Ormond Periodontics & Implant Dentistry in Central Florida today!