If you are considering cosmetic dentistry, it’s important to take the time to consider your options and find the best cosmetic dentist for you. This means that you should look at quite a few dentists online, and schedule consultations with several before making your decision. A robust consultation will end with a treatment plan for you, which should include a cost estimate. It’s tempting to just go with the cheapest estimate, but that would be a mistake.
Here’s how to balance cost concerns against other factors when deciding on your cosmetic dentist.
Why Cost Doesn’t Matter as Much as You Think
We understand that your first instinct is to make cost the biggest factor in making your decision. Decades of advertising have conditioned us to think that a lower price is always better. However, there are many reasons why cost isn’t as big an issue as you might think when choosing your cosmetic dentistry.
Financing Helps It Fit in Your Budget
You do have an absolute cost limit when it comes to cosmetic dentistry: you can only afford so much. You can’t fit too much into your budget. When the money’s gone, it’s gone.
But financing can change this. Instead of paying thousands of dollars up front, you can divide the cost into a number of affordable monthly payments that are much easier to fit into your budget. What initially seems like a big cost difference becomes negligible in terms of your payment plan–both fit easily in your budget.
Cosmetic Dentistry Is Long-Lasting
Another factor to consider is how much this difference really matters over the life of your cosmetic dentistry. If you divide up the price difference between two quotes over the next ten years or so, you’ll see that it amounts to not very much.
What really matters is whether you’re going to spend the next ten years showing off a beautiful smile you love, or hiding that smile and regretting your choice to get cosmetic dentistry. Believe us, getting the results you want is worth paying a little more for.
Cheap Dentistry Can Be Surprisingly Expensive
Another reason why you shouldn’t be too swayed by a low quote is that the low quote could hide some major expenses. Before you make any decision, check that both quotes include all the costs (some dentists might not include an anesthesiologist, for example, or certain fees). If you see items on one estimate that aren’t on the others, make sure everyone adds the item or explains why you won’t need it (and signs off that you won’t be charged).
But even once the quotes seem to contain all the same items, the cheaper quote could end up costing you more in the long run. Restorations made of cheaper materials or placed by dentists with less skill or experience may fail prematurely, which makes them much more expensive than quality treatments that last longer.
Get Your Priorities Straight
So how do you decide which cosmetic dentist is the best one for you? Consider dentists according to these criteria in this order:
- Capability
- Communication
- Cost
- Location
Then you’ll be happy with your selection.
Capability
The most important factor in choosing your cosmetic dentist is making sure they can deliver the results you’re looking for. Consider a dentist’s training, experience, and talent. Look carefully at their before-and-after images to make sure they are capable of delivering the results you’re looking for. If you aren’t fully confident they can do what you want, they’re not the right dentist for you.
Communication
You want a cosmetic dentist you can talk to. It’s important that a dentist can properly explain your procedure in ways that you understand. You need to know exactly what to expect and make sure you get answers to all your questions so you get no surprises during or after your treatment.
But it’s also critical that you feel comfortable talking to your cosmetic dentist. If you don’t feel you can tell them exactly what you’re looking for, how can they give you what you want?
Cost
We never said cost wasn’t important. It matters, so if you’ve got a couple dentists that you’re comfortable can perform the procedure and that you can talk to, you can use cost to break the tie here.
Location
A cosmetic dentist’s location doesn’t matter too much. It’s worth traveling for quality cosmetic dentistry, and you likely aren’t going to need to see them very often. For most cosmetic procedures, there’s the consultation, a preparation visit, and a final seating. Even if a dentist is a little out of your way, you can manage it for these few visits. Of course, if a dentist is too far, you will have to factor that into the question of cost.
Are You Considering Cosmetic Dentistry?
If you are considering cosmetic dentistry, we invite you to come in and talk to us about it. If you’re a regular patient, making a separate consultation is better, but you can certainly bring it up at your next regular appointment.
Please call (949) 551-5902 today for an appointment with an Orange County cosmetic dentist at Rice Dentistry in Irvine.
