You don’t have the money to replace and fix the problem you have in one of your teeth thanks to the expensive dental care you find in your city? Well, let us inform you that you are not the first person. It turns out that worldwide, 40% of the population avoids going to the dentist because they believe that their disease is not serious enough to make it a priority, and they also believe that the cost of the consultation or treatment is excessive.
If you feel that your teeth need urgent medical attention and that you already need to go to the dentist but you don’t want to spend so much on treatment, you are in the right place. We will explain how to get affordable and quality dentures, as well as explain a little more about how implant dentistry works.
A quick guide to dental implants and the All on 4 treatment concept.
The idea of dental implants is primarily to create a replacement for teeth that are not in good physical condition. They may have suffered a trauma, a disease such as periodontitis, tissue death, or multiple reasons that lead a person to be partially or completely missing a tooth.
If it is not only a single tooth that needs to be edited, there are other methods that will allow a much more intense intervention and that can reconstruct several teeth. In this case, the most recommended method is the All on 4 implants, which allows you to have complete teeth again, filling the empty spaces in the upper and lower jaw, or in just one of them in particular.
Although they go to different places, practically all of them work in the same way. A substitute needs to be implanted in the maxillary bones, and those implants will have the false tooth placed on top of them, which will perform the aesthetic and chewing function of a natural tooth. With these implants, you will not have to worry about them breaking, coming out, or falling out. They are completely permanent, although they need the same care as a normal tooth in order to continue functioning correctly since even the gum can become diseased and can cause the implant to become dislocated if the disease is severe enough to reduce the amount of jawbone.
To determine if you need implants you will first need to attend a dental consultation with the specialist you trust or who offers you the best price, and after that, you will have to attend two more times. The first time will be to place the base of the implant, which will need to settle for at least five months to create a good internal connection with the jawbone. After those months will be the second visit where finally the tip of the tooth will be placed with screws, which will give the aesthetic and chewing function to the tooth thus finishing with its placement.
In particular, there are some cases where extra interventions are needed, either to remove a rotten tooth or any residue that has remained in the gum, or perhaps it may be the case where everything can be done in a single quick session.
For the application of the All on 4 system, we will do something similar to a normal implant, since we will also insert in this case four different implants in four cardinal points in the mouth so that they can be the support base of the general denture that is going to be made. Even six implants can be used if the patient requires it in the upper jaw. One of the particularities of this procedure is that it can be easily performed in just one day. Of course, the recovery time is a little long, but you can have your dental implants in one session.
It is usually normal that after having undergone the implantation of dental implants, you will feel some swelling, pain, and some awkwardness thanks to the anesthesia that must be used before the procedure. Therefore it is totally understandable that you will need some time to rehabilitate and rest, and in case you are doing dental tourism, it is the most advisable thing to do before going back home.
We have reached the main point of our article, so be alert and read our multiple tips so you don’t miss anything and can use them on your next trip on dental tourism or in your own city!
This is one of the best options in case you are a resident of the city, and it is one of the options most used by Albanians to avoid excessive expenses in their medical bills, although first, it is essential to consider which treatments are covered by the insurance before proceeding with any step.
There are multiple types of dental insurance, but there are some main ones that are best to consider in these cases, for example, general dental insurance and main dental insurance, which although they have very similar names, have very big changes in terms of what treatment they cover.
In particular, general dental insurance takes care of financing the dental care that is needed for the prevention of oral diseases, that is, before there is any condition that needs to be treated. For example, routine consultations, removal of dental tartar, some x-rays, and in some cases dental fillings that are really basic and do not need too much intervention. While major dental insurance focuses a lot more on dental procedures that need a bit more money and labor, such as dental crowns, braces, and even tooth extraction. Although you can decide which one to choose, this particular case will need a lot more than a main dental implant since we will need it as a treatment: dental implants.
Before you take the step of going to a dental insurance company and contracting any of the packages they offer, sit down and think about your home and what will be sustainable for you or what you need depending on your lifestyle, age, and current problem. For example, if you are young you could opt for general dental insurance as you won’t have too much trouble, but you could also opt for major dental insurance just to make sure you are fully covered against any serious illnesses that come your way, especially if you are young, but with problematic genetics that makes you prone to cavities or other conditions.
Remember to be attentive with the insurance company you hire and that it really is quality and not a scam. Prioritize your priorities, review the cost-effectiveness and benefits, and decide which one is best for your particular case.
It is common for dental offices to show payment alternatives for procedures that will actually make a large expense, especially if you talk to the particular dentist and work out a deal. These are called “Financing Processes”, and consist of being able to pay for your dental treatment in installments depending on your current finances. There are cases where you can choose to pay daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly the percentage that has been given to you until the debt is fully paid.
Some dental offices even allow you to make financing plans without the need to charge any interest, so for people who have a tight economy this type of payment would be ideal. But it also depends on how long it takes to pay since it is not normal to see it in installments of a year or more.
It is a matter of asking your dentist if he has one of these options available and agreeing between both parties for the best possible efficiency. It is best to be sure that you will be able to pay on time because although this option is one of the best in terms of saving money, you could end up with much larger debts than you thought if you are not serious about paying on time.
This tip is even more important for people residing in Albania.
In order to be part of the discounts that are available in different dental offices in Albania, you can take into account the possibility of being part of a dental plan. It is like a subscription that allows you to decrease the total dental expenses through an annual fee that you must play responsibly. It will take care of lowering your dental bill if you need it. There are many providers that you can search online or on your own, and you won’t need to wait too long or have to undergo any prior health exam to be accepted for the subscription.
And the best thing is that this dental plan through a subscription is also possible to use at the same time as dental insurance.
The only drawback of some dental plans is that it is absolutely necessary for the dentist to be enrolled in the same dental plan agency that you are applying for in order to be able to redeem the bill.
Going outside of our cities and the comforts we are used to can be a good investment when it comes to investing in our dental treatments. Usually in other countries it is much expensive than in our cities, including the quality per treatment.
One way to save efficiently is to make your payments through a credit card or other method that allows you to give the entire percentage in one transaction. The one thing you have to watch out for, though, is not to spend on something extra that you won’t be able to pay for at the end of the month. The best thing to do is to maintain a percentage of spending that you know you can afford in the future. Also, one of the advantages of paying with the card is to take advantage of rewards, bonuses, and offers.
In case your particular bank offers you at some point to make interest-free payments at the end of the month, you can use it particularly in the payment of your service.
There is a possibility that some dental schools are looking for volunteers for internships for students who are about to graduate, so it is valid for you to volunteer at the school and apply as a potential candidate. If you do not know which universities to go to in Albania, you can easily google some of them as most of them have websites or location information.
There are some that are totally free or that ask for at least a collaboration for the institution or for the students themselves who are about to graduate, so they can be considered slightly professional. Usually, they do not offer treatments that are too deep and that require major interventions, only consultations, check-ups, maybe pulling a tooth or two. But, this depends on what the students are looking to practice. And don’t worry, most of the students are almost professionals and are supervised by a certified dentist who is evaluating them in general.
Just be aware that there will be a long waiting list before you and that you will probably spend a lot more time sitting in the chair since it is a practitioner, not a specialized dentist. The margin for error should be minimal, but you won’t be able to judge them either as you will be practically a test dummy. It’s a matter of assimilating the situation and refraining from whatever comes your way.
This depends greatly on the dentist you are talking to, and you have to understand that you might be taken as a cheapskate for negotiating the price. Usually, private practices have a set price that won’t change for the world, but you can go to the local dentist’s area and ask for prices, so you can compare and perhaps lower the total cost through haggling.
Talking to your dentist for a discount can save you as little as 10% of the cost of treatment, but you should do so with respect and tolerance, as they are under no obligation to lower the price. Perhaps if you explain your current situation, they may agree to a lower price, or they may offer you a more budget-friendly option that allows you to continue with the treatment but pay for it part by part, as we have explained in other points of the article.
There is a chance that if you agree to avoid the dentist having a commission thanks to the commissions caused by credit cards, the dentist will consider a slight discount on the dental treatment you need. If you did not know, it is normal for a business, dental clinic, or any enterprise that has a point of sale and accepts credit card payments, to be discounted an estimated amount of money depending on what they charge. Therefore we could consider it a major expense to the business. So if you offer to pay for treatment through cash, and ask your dentist for a discount, there’s a better chance he’ll give it to you.
In case it really is an emergency, you have no money and you need it, you can open a GoFundMe to pay for your dental treatments. But, you must consider that you are receiving donations and that there are people who are also opening one but for bigger reasons. So, you should consider this option well and think about if it is really totally necessary, not just because you want to.
If you don’t know what GoFundMe is, it is a website that allows you to accept donations from all over the world through different payment methods, although the main one is always Paypal. It’s as easy as registering and stating your case and waiting to see if anyone wants to support your cause.
This is a great option and can be accompanied by the use of coupons. Usually, this technique is used by new practices that want to make a name for themselves and through advertising and a particular offer, want to get new clients no matter what.
You are likely to see offers on cleanings, tooth extraction, implants, and many other things. In any case, if the practice is new, chances are that their prices are not very high, so you can take advantage of this and see if they match your budget.
