Why does where you live seem to determine how much you have to pay for the dentist? We stretched ourselves financially in order to live in a better neighborhood, but the dentist here is almost double what our old neighborhood dentist cost. I don’t want to have to drive across town into the heart of an area we felt was unsafe in order to get affordable dental care.
Nora
Dear Nora,
It would be nice if the quality of all dentists were reliably equal, but that isn’t the case. The cost of a dentist varies based on several factors, though it is possible to find highly skilled dentists which are affordable, even in better neighborhoods. First, I’ll go over some factors which affect cost.
Building Costs can Affect the Cost of Dentistry
You’ve heard the expression, “Location, location, location…” Often offices in better neighborhoods have to pay exorbitant rental costs on their building. It’s hard for them to stay afloat, so their prices are higher so they can stay in business in that area.
This is one of the reasons Dr. Peck chose a location just outside a more expensive area. This enabled him to keep his costs reasonable for people in more than one type of neighborhood.
Skill Can Affect the Affordability of Dentistry
While some dentists do not raise their prices simply because they have exceptional skills, some do. They’ve spent a great deal of money and time furthering both their education and their skills. They need to make up the cost of that education.
Affordable Dentistry versus Cheap Dentistry
On the other end of the spectrum, there are dentists who lower their prices significantly just to draw patients in, but the quality of their work isn’t up to snuff. They keep their profits up by purchasing lower quality materials.
Think of it this way. What’s more affordable, a crown that lasts fifteen years and costs $900.00 or a crown that lasts four years and costs $500.00? Obviously, the cheaper crown ends up costing you significantly more in the long run.
Ideally, you want to find a dentist who does quality work at a reasonable price. Most dentists will offer some type of payment plan option for work that has a higher cost because of the nature of the procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.
This is the option your dentist mentioned. It is at the top of the line, the ideal option. In fact, it’s a lot like having your natural tooth back (when it was healthy). The downsides are the cost and the fact that it requires surgery. The surgery is actually its benefit too. It implants a root form into your jawbone which protects you from losing essential bone structure. Click here to 
This is a second good option. It suspends a false tooth between two dental crowns. The downside is it does remove tooth structure from the adjacent teeth to make room for the crown. This makes more sense if those teeth already need crowns. Then you’re getting two for the price of one. The upside is it’s less expensive. Click here to 
This is my least favorite option, but sometimes it’s all a patient can afford, so I help them make the best of it. It just uses a partial denture and clamps to your teeth. There are various types of clamps, all of which come with ups and downs, as well as varying price tags. Your dentist is obligated to tell you about them if you decide to go that route. The obvious downside to these is they’re not fixed in your mouth and can move around. Plus they put pressure on the teeth to which they’re clamped.