$399 Dental Implants: What You Need to Know

Dental implants are not a cheap solution to the many problems caused by missing teeth. Some clinics have started advertising implants at astonishingly low prices, such as $399. These eye-catching low offers have been searched so many times now that they’re part of Google’s autocomplete search results. At first glance, and without fully understanding dental implants, many people probably believe the advertisements to be true. Unfortunately, these “deals” are misleading advertising campaigns that focus on only one component, the implant screw, while excluding the other costs of the dental implant procedure.

This article delves into these misleading offers to help you understand the truth behind $399 dental implant advertisements.

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What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a medical device that is surgically implanted into the jaw to restore a person's ability to chew. It provides support for an artificial (fake) tooth or crown. While the dental implant is technically only the screw that is implanted into the jaw, most people use the term “dental implant” to refer to the entire system that restores a tooth, which includes three parts:

• The implant, which is a titanium screw-like device that the specialist inserts into the patient’s jaw
• The abutment, which holds the replacement tooth in place
• The crown, which is the visible tooth that replaces the missing one

The Misleading $399 Offer

It's important to understand that $399 dental implant advertisements only include the cost of the implant (screw) and not the entire dental implant system, which involves three key pieces of hardware. Without the abutment and crown, you end up with nothing but a screw in the root of your jaw.

The full implant system, including scans and follow-up visits, will naturally increase the total price of the procedure far above $399. No clinic can offer all three parts of the implant and all the steps of this procedure for so little.

The Real Cost of Dental Implants

The actual cost of a dental implant depends on several factors. Experienced oral surgeons and specialists may charge more, especially if they are board-certified to perform implant surgeries. The cost also varies by location and the materials used to create the implant..

No matter how you add it up, an implant cannot be made and implanted for only $399. The X-rays alone often cost that much, not to mention the initial tooth extraction procedure before the implant is even in place. Even if an implant could be so cheap, such an implant would have to be so compromised in terms of materials that it would require revision surgery to correct. The cheapest single implants for high-volume clinics can run as low as $2,500 while the most experienced specialists can charge upwards of $6,000.

Conclusion

High-quality dental implants offer a permanent solution to missing teeth that avoids the pitfalls of partial solutions like dentures or bridges. While cosmetically repairing the patient’s smile, these implants also function as real teeth, preventing bone loss and other structural damage in the future.

The dental implant industry has become highly competitive, which has resulted in many clinics advertising "$399 Dental Implants." Unfortunately, these deals are often misleading and deceptive for patients. The actual cost of the procedure is much higher than $399 because this price only covers the initial implant and does not include the necessary procedures of abutting and crowning it. Patients should be aware of this and carefully consider all costs involved before committing to any dental implant procedure.

Prospective patients should always ask about the total cost of their procedure before agreeing to pay for it. While getting a dental implant from an experienced oral surgeon can seem expensive, the cheaper clinics often charge just as much while not offering a quality service. You don’t have to settle for a cheap smile. Talk with your provider about insurance and financing options that can help you pay for the treatment you deserve.