Dental Implants with Low Monthly Payments
Dental implants are one of the most popular solutions for missing teeth among adults in the United States. This popularity is in part due to the long-term stability and durability dental implants offer. Dental implants are a big investment in your oral health, and for some, the cost is a major barrier. Before you decide if dental implants are right for you, you should become familiar with the implant procedure as well as the expected treatment costs. Here is more information on dental implants, estimated costs, and ways to help cover treatment costs.
What are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically inserted into the jawbone. After the implant is placed, the bone fuses around it holding it in place. Implants are designed to act like the root of a natural tooth and support an artificial crown or prosthetic dentures. Other tooth replacement options like dentures or bridges are removable and are not permanently secured in the mouth. Because of this, these other alternatives can shift, causing irritation and rubbing. On the other hand, dental implants offer the stability, durability, and restore the function of natural teeth.
The Cost of Dental Implants
The cost of dental implant treatment depends on a number of factors. According to recent studies, the average cost of dental implant treatment for one implant is between $1,500-$6,000. This estimate includes the cost of the implant surgery, the implant system components, and any additional hardware or procedures that are needed throughout the process.
Why is the Cost Not Standard?
As you can see, the range of average treatment costs is large. The cost of implant treatment varies depending on geographic location, the expertise and skills of the dentist, and the implant system that is selected. Implant systems from well-established companies are believed to be the best dental implants, however, these systems may cost more. Implants from local dental labs are also an option, and potentially more affordable, but there is less evidence of their long-term success. The best place to start if you are trying to estimate what dental implant treatment will cost for you is to have a discussion with your dentist about what procedures will be needed in your treatment plan, what implant brands they prefer to use, and their estimated costs for treatment.
Discount Plans
A popular and accessible option to cover the costs of dental implant treatment are dental discount plans. These discount plans may cover from 4-50% of the total costs of the implant treatment. To see if this is an option for you, you may need to do some research and investigate if there is a discount plan available that may help cover the costs of your implants and to determine if you qualify.
Financing Dental Implant Treatment
It is common for patients receiving dental implant treatment to have to cover a portion or all of the treatment costs out-of-pocket. If you are considering dental implant treatments it is important to know that despite the popularity of the treatment, implants are often not covered by dental insurance policies. However, it is also important to know that there are alternative financing options that involve low monthly payments available to cover the costs. Most of these alternative financing options require a good credit score to qualify, which leaves a large number of patients with poor credit scores unable to finance the cost of dental implant treatment. If you are interested in dental implant treatment and do not have a great credit score, there are a few common options available for you to explore, including:
Sub-Prime Lender Financing
One of the first common options your dentist may suggest if you don’t qualify for a standard credit-based medical loan is to apply for subprime lender financing. Typically, standard credit-based medical loans require a minimum credit score of 640 for approval. Subprime lenders will look beyond the credit score to a patient’s financial history, including evaluating income, employment history, and other available information. It should be noted that there are some downsides to subprime lender financing plans. Subprime lender loans will often come with higher interest rates and origination fees and may result in longer pay off terms.
Personal Loans
Another option for patients with low credit scores who are interested in dental implants is to apply for a secured or unsecured personal loan. To establish a secured loan the patient will be required to leverage some collateral, such as a car or physical real estate property. This collateral will improve the chances of approval and increase the loan amount. On the other hand, unsecured personal loans do not require any collateral. Personal loans can be harder to qualify for with bad credit since the lender takes on more risk. It may be hard for a patient that doesn’t qualify for a credit-based repayment plan or financing option to be approved for an unsecured personal loan.
Flexible Pay-Over-Time Plans
Another option is a pay-over-time lending option like those offered by Healthcare Finance Direct (HFD). These third party lender payment plans often work for all patients, even those who do not qualify for the traditional financing options due to a low credit score. These lenders partner with dental practices to help make it possible for the dentists to treat all patients. Lenders such as HFD use a unique data-driven process that takes into consideration more than just a credit report to assess the risk of loaning to a patient. The lender uses the data to determine the terms of a loan agreement that includes a down payment. Through this type of system, interest rates are set that reduce the provider’s risk while also allowing the provider to keep the interest on the payments. The established payments, which can be relatively low monthly payments, are directly debited from the patient’s account, reducing the burden on the dental provider and the lender to track down payments. This system is beneficial for both the dental provider and more convenient for the patient.