In this blog, ” Why are dental implants so expensive in Australia? ” I will dissect this topic to help patients better understand the factors affecting the cost of dental implants in Australia and why the same dental implant placed by a highly experienced dental implant surgeon in Thailand or Philippines may be up to 60% less expensive.
Dental Implants are a premium replacement therapy for missing or hopeless teeth. The will resemble and function similar to a natural tooth. They can truly improve the quality of life and they have an overall expected 95% success rate. However, they come with a hefty price tag. On Average, Dental Implants can range from $3000-8000.
Wondering, Why dental implants are so expensive in Australia?
Multiple factors influence the cost of implants. Here is a handy list:
1.Location
Location affects the cost of dental implants and varies from city to city. In bigger cities, procedural costs are higher because of a more expensive standard of living. Even Starbucks charges more in some locations than others due to the higher cost of operation and overhead from one city to the other.
For example, rent for a small dental clinic in Sydney or Melbourne may cost as much as $8000 -$10,000 per month. The same size clinic in smaller cities may cost about $2,000- $4000 per month. As you can see the higher cost of overhead is passed on to the patients.
My research has shown, the cost of location is not much different when it comes to Bangkok, Phuket, or Manila. Prime real estate is expensive even though other operational cost is less.
2. Labor
Cost of labor happens to be a major difference in pricing among Australian Dentists and Dental Specialists in Thailand or the Philippines. For example, hiring a dental receptionist in Australia will cost $2000-$4000 per month. The same role in Thailand or the Philippines will cost the clinic between $700-$1000.
Cost of labor is one of the largest contributors to practice overhead, so when you are wondering why dental implants cost so much in Australia, always look at the cost of labor first.
Overall Setting up a dental practice, overhead costs, material costs, time spent on the treatment planning and execution, rent, and salaries per location factor into the overall cost of tooth implants.
3.The Implant Brand
With over 200 dental implant manufacturers, there is a large variation in pricing among the brands of dental implants. Be sure to read my blog: ” The Best Top 12 Dental Implant Brands- A Patient Guide“.
The cost of a dental implant depends on the design, quality, and longevity. Top names such as Straumann or Nobel Biocare backed by years of research and clinical testing -show successful results and can therefore command a higher cost than others. Newer brands or so-called off brands cost far less.
Smaller dental practices, generally carry one or two dental brands, and often, they carry top-of-the-line dental implant brands such as Nobel Biocare, Straumann, Bicon, BioHorizon, or ImplantDirect. They typically want to stay with top brands and not risk any problems for patients. However, carrying only top brands is like only selling Godiva Chochalates in your store. This thinking limits patients; choices. Larger dental clinics, typically carry multiple brands with different price points to offer different variety to patients. If you are planning to buy a television, do you want to have a choice of brands?
Understanding the concept of overhead cost ( Location, Labor, Dental Implant Brand ) can answer the common question and most widely used keyword on google. ” Why are dental implants so expensive in Australia? “
” Cost of labor is a major contributor to a clinic’s overhead”
4.The Dental Expertise
Experience and skills of the Dentist
Dental Implants require precision and careful planning in every step, which requires skills and experience that takes years to achieve.
Dental professionals need to keep themselves updated with newer technologies, techniques, and products to deliver the best quality of treatment, which can be pretty costly. I have found dental expertise in location independent, and it does not affect the cost of dental implants too much when comparing Australian dentists with Dentists in Thailand or the Philippines. One could argue that the cost of education is much higher in Australia than it is in other countries. I agree with this explanation but how is it that there are dentists in Australia who charge far less than their rivals?
To answer this question, I like to point out the cost of dental expertise is directly proportional to the amount of post-doctoral education one dentist has invested in learning about dental implants and also managing complex dental cases. This cost differential is the same among dentists from different parts of the world. Those dentists who truly understand patient case management have a completely different approach to dental implant placement and surgery. It is no wonder, they have very predictable treatment results.
Let me share a list of approaches by highly skilled dental implant specialists and you would better understand why dental implants are so expensive in Australia? But also in other parts of the world if other costs were the same.
- Pre-planning every case using 3-D Conebeam/CT-scan
- Use of Diagnostic Wax-UP in Planning and Prototype Creation
- Detailed Smile Design and Communication with a Master Dental Technician
- Use of Surgical Guides and Stents
- Soft tissue management- Health of the gums surrounding the implant before and after the implant placement and good post-op healing so that soft tissues contours are correct.
- Occlusion- A comprehensive understanding of occlusion for long-term stability of dental implant
- Use of Temporay restorations for progressive loading of the dental implant to mitigate the risk of bone loss
The application of the above list by clinicians can greatly improve the results of dental implant placement. However, dentists who follow these protocols often charge a much higher fee as there are additional costs incurred by the clinic.
5. Cost of Dental Materials
The Australian market for dental supplies imports makes up 95% of the total market. Estimated local production of dental equipment and supplies accounts for 5% of the total market in Australia. Most Australian manufacturers also import goods to complement their product lines, because of the small size of the market and the high cost of production, dental suppliers import products that often are subject to local import fees.
The use of materials among dentists varies depending on their level of expertise. Some dentists may use lesser expensive products to reduce costs for their patients, while others focus on the quality of the products at much higher prices. For example, a dentist who uses an oral membrane, such as Oro-Tape to close a wound may incur an additional cost of $20-$30 for each surgical site. A dentist who does not use a membrane does not have the same cost but the healing could become less predictable.
6. Cost of Dental Laboratory
Dental laboratories play a significant role in the treatment process and often are not as visible entities as the dentist. The dental lab fees also vary considerably and are affected by the same factors, I discussed earlier for dentists. These are 1) Location, 2) Labor 3) Implant Brand ( parts ) 4) Professional Expertise and 5) Dental material cost.
Dental laboratory cost is another big differentiation of price as to why are dental implants so expensive in Australia? The cost of dental labs is greatly less in other countries such as Thailand, or the Philippines. Some but not all of the dental labs in Australia, often outsource part of their manufacturing to other countries with lesser labor costs.
I hope in this article, I have been able to explain why are dental implants so expensive in Australia? and help you better understand the expenses related to dental implants behind the scenes.
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