What is the Cost for an Implant?

Karen asks:

What is the typical cost of a dental implant? Will it help me to pay for this if I have insurance? What other payment options? Thanks.

Answered by: Dr. Carlos Boudet

West Palm Beach, FL

Hi Karen,

Dentists (including myself) don't like to quote fees without any information about the particular case because every case is different and may require a different treatment. Therefore, the fees that I will give you are standard fees that may change or require additional procedures and fees, depending on the case in question.

When you say "a dental implant" I will assume that you are talking about "one" implant to replace one tooth.

The cost for a dental implant can be divided into three parts:

1- The surgical placement of the implant in the bone, which can cost anywhere from $1,400 to $2,000 dollars.

2- The abutment (or post) that attaches to the implant and comes out through the gum tissue. This post can cost between $300 and $700 dollars.

3- And the crown which is shaped like a tooth, is made in the laboratory and is cemented on the post. The crown can cost as little as $850 and as much as $1,200 dollars.

There are dentists that advertise cheaper prices and there are dentists that will charge even higher than the high range I quoted you.

As far as insurance is concerned, I have only seen a couple of insurance plans that cover a percentage of the cost of implants, and most dental insurance has such low annual benefits that it is of little help to patients requiring more expensive dental work, like dental implants.

Most dental offices work with financial institutions that can provide the patient with payment plans, such as Care Credit, Chase Health Advance and others.

Thanks for asking such a great question, and good luck.

Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
http://www.boudetdds.com