Dental Implant Cost in 2023: What to Expect

Are you worried about the dental implant cost in 2023? If you’re considering getting dental implants, it’s quite an important decision in terms of the cost and the actual surgery. For a lot of people, however, getting dental implants is the best option when it comes to replacing damaged or missing teeth. Naturally, the price range tends to shock people and make them reconsider. Nevertheless, dental implants still remain the gold standard for tooth replacement with over 500,000 surgeries per year. If you are one of those people who needs to get dental implants but you don’t know how much it will cost you, don’t worry, we got you covered. So, before you decide to get anything done, it’s good to inform yourself about the cost of dental implants and what goes into the cost to justify the price range.

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a surgery where an artificial tooth root is inserted into the jawbone. This artificial tooth root is used to hold a prosthetic tooth in place. Basically, the artificial tooth functions similarly to a natural tooth root and holds the prosthetic tooth in place.

While the dental implant specifically refers to the artificial tooth that is inserted into the jawbone, the cost includes both the artificial tooth root and the prosthetic tooth.

Dental implants are done for many different reasons. These include things like, losing one or more teeth due to an accident, missing teeth resulting from medical conditions, and replacing a damaged root. Some people choose to have implants for cosmetic reasons.

Why Are Dental Implants So Expensive?

Dental implants are expensive because the prices reflect the cost of the implant materials and the length and complexity of the process of placing the artificial root and prosthetic tooth. The entire process of getting the dental implant takes at least six months from start to finish. The process is long because it takes time for the body to heal and fuse the artificial root with the jawbone.

How Much Do Dental Implants Cost

Dental implants cost between $1500 and $6000 for a single tooth. But, the average cost of dental implants is between $3000 and $5000. Moreover, according to the cost survey the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute conducted, the entire cost of an implant, abutment, crown, and other necessary procedures ranges from $3,100 to $5,800.

To determine the final cost of your new tooth (or teeth), you need to know the elements that go into the procedure. So, here’s a breakdown of the prices:

Comprehensive dental exam and X-ray scan — between $200 to $450
3D imaging, if necessary — between $350 and $515
Possible extraction of a tooth (or teeth), if necessary — between $75 to $650
CT scan — between $100 and $700 (sometimes offered for free as an incentive to start the procedure)
Anesthesia — between $50 to $200
Installation of the implant(s) — between $1,000 to $3,000 for each root.
Placement of the abutment piece — between $750 – $2000
Fabrication and placement of the prosthetic crown — between $1,000 to $2,000

The cost of dental implants also depends on the tooth you need to replace. Replacing a front or a back tooth changes the cost. Usually, the cost of front tooth implants is a bit more than those at the back of the mouth.
So, should you ever need to replace every single tooth, the cost of dental implants could be astronomical, but you will save money on X-ray and CT scans because you will only need to do them once. So, while you may save money on some things, the prices are still considerably high.

Full mouth dental implants cost

Full mouth dental implants cost starts at $40,000. Naturally, the more complicated the state of your teeth and jawbone, the more the procedure can cost. For example, the state of your gums and jawbone will affect the cost of the implants, including whether or not extraction of the remaining teeth is necessary.

There are many different approaches to full mouth dental implants, but the price range differs. The most expensive approach is to replace all the teeth individually. While this method is the most comfortable for the patient, it typically costs between $60,000 to $90,000. However, this method allows dentists to preserve some of the existing healthy teeth.

On the other hand, a more affordable option is the All-on-4, which is an implant-supported denture. This arch anchors to four to six implants each in the upper and lower jaws. Despite being more affordable, the price for a complete set still ranges between $24,000 to $50,000.

Nevertheless, despite the high prices, dental implants are a worthy investment because they can last up to 20 years. Also regularly brushing and flossing your teeth can help the implants last longer.

Additional Cost of Dental Implants

Discuss the pricing beforehand with your dentist so you know how much the entire process will cost you. However, if you are seeing multiple specialists like a dentist and an oral surgeon, then you need to take into account the fees you will be paying for each specialist. The only additional expense you should expect to have are over-the-counter or prescription medications if your dentist deems it necessary. These can be painkillers or antibiotics (before or after the procedure).

The only additional expenses you might have are over-the-counter or prescription medications, such as a painkiller after some of the procedures or antibiotics before or afterward if the dentist decides it’s necessary.

Don’t Let the Price Stop You

Although the longevity of implants makes the procedure worth it in the long-run, many still cannot afford to pay for it. Don’t let the cost of dental implants stop you. You can look into getting an insurance plan if you are not insured yet. According to Investopedia, they are the following:

Delta Dental Insurance
Denali Dental
Spirit Dental & Vision
Ameritas
Cigna Dental

To learn more about these insurance plans, we have covered some of them in our article titled Top Dental Insurance for Braces in 2023.

Coverage is improving. When before dental insurers didn’t cover the cost of implants, these days, they typically pay a small portion of the total cost of dental implants. Each dental insurance may provide a different percentage of reimbursement based on the type of procedure. Some also have a dollar cap on reimbursement for a given year, others may perhaps even provide a lifetime cap. So, if you have dental insurance, you can expect them to reimburse about $1,500 per implant per year. You may be able to collect for two calendar years should your implant work take that long.

Check Your Payment Options

Other means like healthcare credit financing groups, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs) can cover the cost of dental implants. Except for credit financing groups, the accounts function similarly to each other in that they either reimburse the incurred expenses or pay for them. These accounts may also pay or reimburse the difference between what your insurance covers and what you have to pay out-of-pocket.

If you already have insurance, ensure that you check with your insurance provider before you begin the procedure so you know how much of the cost you’ll be responsible to pay for.

Additionally, you can pay the cost of dental implants over the course of the length of the treatment—since the process is so long. Moreover, 80% of dentists oftentimes offer a payment plan typically through CareCredit, LLC, which is a leading healthcare financing group. They are also the largest dental financing group in the US.

At the end of the day, your health is invaluable, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through your entire savings—or hurt yourself financially—to get dental implants. Don’t balk at the costs, you can still get implants at a more affordable rate.

References

[1] Dental Implant Procedure Cost. “How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?” GoodRx Health, 2022

[2] Dental Implants and Cost. “How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?” Dental Depot DFW, 2022

[3] Cost of Getting Dental Implants. “How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?” Forbes Health, 2022

[4] Expected Costs of Dental Implants. “What is the Expected Cost of Dental Implants?” Distinctive Dental Care, 2022

[5] Dental Implants Cost in the US. “Dental Implants: Costs, Procedures and Types in the US.” Dentaly, 2022

[6] Cost of Full-Mouth Dental Implants. “What Are Full Mouth Dental Implants and What Do they Cost?” TeethXpress, 2021