I signed up for this certain dental insurance plan in my area because I have a dental phobia which resulted in me losing most of my teeth. I’m hoping to get affordable dental implants. I went to one of the dentists listed on the plan, who advertises as an implant dentist too. The very first thing they had me do is fill out financial forms with something called Care Credit. They came back and told me I qualified and then gave me paperwork to fill out my dental/medical history, etc. So, I first wondered if they’d have treated me if I didn’t “qualify” for financing. They did the cleaning, which wasn’t pleasant. The dentist never did a check up but told me I needed a crown and two fillings. Then I can get implants. I’m not sure I trust this dentist. He didn’t even examine me and is agreeing to expensive surgery, etc. What do I do?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

I completely understand your concern. I’m especially appalled that they were more interested in your financial viability than your dental health. Combine that with the fact your dentist never bothered to examine you before giving a diagnosis and I would advise you to run away from this dentist.

I want to address your dental phobia and then we can set up a plan for you to get affordable dental implants.

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

One thing that’s quite helpful to patients who aren’t fond of the dental chair is to use sedation. This is different from the type of sedation you get with a surgical procedure. You’re not unconscious. It’s called oral conscious sedation. Basically, it completely relaxes you enabling your pain medicine to work more efficiently. In fact, it relaxes you so much that most patients prefer to just sleep through the appointment.

The only downside is that you’re a bit on the loopy side and will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment. Plus, they’ll likely need to stay with you until the medicine wears off.

Affordable Versus Cheap Dental Implants

Too many people make the mistake of looking for the cheapest implant dentist around. That often ends disastrously. If someone is significantly less expensive than the other dentists in their area, it’s usually from one of two reasons.

One, they’re new to the procedure and need to draw in patients in order to gain more experience. That could work out fine. Everyone has to start somewhere. But, bear in mind they don’t have a track record of successful procedures yet or experience when things don’t go just as expected.

Another common reason for lower prices is cheaper materials. While implants can cost several hundred dollars in the United States, they can be purchased overseas for just a few dollars. The problem with that is the standards. Many of these end up causing infections or even breaking in the patient’s jaw.

Instead of looking for the cheapest, look for options to give you quality implants at a reasonable price. If you’re getting implant supported dentures, you don’t have to get a full set of implants. You can start out with just four strategically placed for maximum security and benefit.

Bear in mind you normally won’t have to pay for the entire procedure up front. Because it’s done in stages, you can usually spread out the payments as well.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey.