What dental implants actually cost.

Why there is no single price.

A dental implant is not one product. It is a surgical procedure followed by a restoration, and how much work each part takes varies enormously from person to person. Four things move the number more than anything else.

1. How many teeth you are replacing Replacing one tooth is a different procedure from replacing several, and different again from replacing a full arch. Cost does not scale in a straight line — a full arch on four or six implants often costs less than replacing every tooth individually.
2. Whether you need bone grafting An implant needs bone to hold it. If a tooth has been missing for a while, or was lost to infection, the bone underneath may have shrunk. Some patients need none. Some need a small graft at the time of surgery. Some need grafting done first as a separate stage. This is the single biggest reason two people get two very different quotes.
3. Whether you want sedation Many patients are comfortable with local anesthetic alone. Others would much rather be sedated. We provide IV sedation in-house, and general anesthesia with a visiting nurse anesthetist for longer or more complex cases. It is a real cost and it is a real choice — it should be priced openly, not buried.
4. What the final tooth is made of, and who makes it The implant is the post in the bone. The crown, bridge or full-arch prosthesis that sits on top is a separate piece of work, often done by your general dentist. Materials and laboratory work vary in price and in how long they last.

What a complete quote should include.

This is where advertised prices most often mislead. A very low headline number usually covers one part of the treatment, not all of it. Before you compare two quotes, make sure both of them cover the same list.

• The consultation and the 3D CBCT scan used to plan the case
• The surgical placement of the implant itself
• Any bone grafting needed, or a clear statement that it is not included
• The abutment and the final crown, bridge or prosthesis — or a clear statement of who provides it and what they charge
• Sedation, if you want it
• Follow-up visits after surgery
• What happens, and what it costs, if something does not go to plan

If a quote does not say which of these it covers, it is not yet a quote.

Questions worth asking anyone who quotes you.

You are not being difficult by asking these. Any surgeon who is confident in their work will answer them without hesitation.

1. Who is actually performing the surgery, and what is their training? Implants can be placed by a general dentist or by a specialist. A periodontist completes three additional years of surgical residency after dental school, specifically in the gums and bone that hold implants. Ask whether the person placing yours is board-certified — that is a further step beyond specialist training, and it is a matter of public record you can check.
2. Does this price include the tooth, or only the implant? The most common gap between an advertised price and a final bill.
3. What happens if I turn out to need a graft? Ask for the number before treatment starts, not after the scan.
4. Is the plan based on a 3D scan of my jaw? A price quoted without imaging is an estimate of an average patient, not of you.
5. Will I get this in writing before I commit? You should, every time.

How we handle it.

We do not quote implant treatment over the phone, because a number given without seeing your bone is a guess and guesses are how people end up surprised. What we do instead:

At your consultation we take a 3D CBCT scan, examine the site, and work out exactly what your case needs — including whether grafting is required. You then receive a written treatment plan with the full cost on it, including your insurance estimate, before you decide anything. If the plan changes, you hear about it before the change happens, not on the bill afterwards.

Treatment is carried out by Dr. Alkanan and Dr. Saleh, both board-certified periodontists, at our offices in Kennewick, Yakima and Walla Walla. Weekend appointments are available by arrangement for surgical cases.

What insurance usually does.

Most dental plans contribute something toward implant treatment, and a good number contribute meaningfully toward the surgical portion. Very few cover the whole thing.

We are in-network with Delta Dental at all three offices, and with the Careington network in Yakima. For every other plan we accept your insurance, file the claim for you, and you use your out-of-network benefits. We check your benefits before your visit and put the estimate in writing.

Paying for it over time.

If there is a balance after insurance, or you would rather not pay at once, we work with CareCredit, Proceed and LendingClub. Proceed is built for larger cases such as full-arch treatment, with longer terms that keep the monthly payment manageable. Applications take a few minutes and can be completed from home before you come in.

More about insurance and financing

Time, money and fear.

Cost is one of the three things that stop people getting treatment they know they need. Dr. Alkanan talks about all three, and about why waiting usually makes the problem — and the bill — bigger.

Is the cheapest quote the cheapest outcome?

Sometimes it is. Often it is not — and the difference does not show up for years.

An implant placed in the wrong position, or in bone that could not support it, can be difficult and expensive to correct, and occasionally cannot be corrected at all. Redoing failed implant work costs considerably more than doing it once properly, because the bone has to be rebuilt first. That is not an argument for paying the highest price. It is an argument for knowing exactly what you are buying and who is doing it.

Come in, get scanned, and leave with a written number. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.