I took my husband to a dentist because we know he needs to have a lot of work done. The dentist told us he should probably get his teeth replaced with dental implants. We don’t have a big budget and it seems like he is pushing for all-on-4 dental implants because that would be best in his situation.
We are wondering if a different dentist may give us other options. I want him to have the best quality of life, but it is so expensive.
We are even exploring dental care outside of the United States. It seems that all-on-4 implants are much more reasonable elsewhere. Is the final product the same?
He is miserable so if you know of other affordable options or if going out of the country will work, please let me know asap.
Thank you for your help.
-Carolyn in Idaho
Carolyn,
Thank you for your reaching out. It is difficult to understand if you have other options when a dentist is adamant about a particular treatment plan. It is always good to get a second opinion, especially with such an invasive treatment plan. The All-on-Four dental implants treatment is considered to be somewhat controversial. If this is the only option that the dentist provided you, then it would be wise to keep looking.
That said, it wouldn’t be in your best interest to go to another country for dental care. Even though it sounds like budget is a determining factor for your husband’s care, it’s not always the best to price shop with dentistry. Other countries do not have the regulations in place like we do here. The reason many other countries are so low priced is due to cutting corners or in using substandard materials. Many people jump at the opportunity because they think it is an equal product and end up with all sorts of problems. Then, in the long run it ends up costing more money and heartache than if the treatment was done here in the first place.
It is of course difficult to give you specific recommendations without having seen your husband in person. However, there are some other lower-cost tooth replacement alternatives that are worth looking into. For example, a snap-on denture or an implant overdenture that is supported by dental implants are very economical. These treatment plans only require the use of two dental implants. Think of it this way, the more dental implants your husband has, the more secure the denture would be. However, with each dental implant there will be an increase in the cost. But, using dental implants will provide him with a better quality of life than the problems he will deal with from a completely removable denture.
The all-on-4 technique has a high risk failure. If there is one takeaway from this it would be to get a second opinion or several more opinions from reputable implant dentists in your area. And also not to price shop when it comes to implant dentistry.
Thank you for reaching out. Best of luck to you both.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma dentist Dr. Rick Lane.