Why Are There Price Differences Between Different Dental Practices?
Hi, I’m Dr Billy Choi, the principal dentist at Precision Dental here in Fortitude Valley.
Are you in the process of getting quotes for a dental procedure, and are you getting different prices from different clinics on what appears to be the “same” treatment?
Well, in this short video, I’ll share with you some of the factors that can impact the quote you are getting. Hopefully, this will help you as part of your research process.
Many things can affect the price of an item or treatment in different practices. One of them is the quality of the material, equipment and instrument used.
Let’s start with material. Top quality materials from local Australian, American or European suppliers would cost more than materials from other countries. With material that is going to live in your mouth for 10, 15 years or longer, you want to make sure it is safe and durable, from a reputable supplier. Here at Precision Dental, we only use materials of the highest quality with top-of-the-range brands.
In terms of equipment and instrument, when a practice invests in premium quality equipment and instruments, it makes the patient’s treatment easier, faster and more comfortable. You might be paying a little more, but our patients definitely feel it’s worth it.
The next thing that will impact the price of the treatment is how much overall time is allocated to the patient. Now, it’s not just the time for the procedure, but time for pre-planning.
There is this saying, measure twice, cut one. This is so true when it comes to dental treatment planning. This includes using software such as Digital Smile Design to design the smile, communicating with third parties such as dental labs. Hours can be invested into the treatment before any procedure begins.
Then finally, post-treatment time allocation. How much time is allocated to follow up with the patient to make sure everything is 100%, and make adjustments if required. So you can see, time is a big factor that can impact the final price of the treatment.
Lastly, another thing that can impact the price is the experience and standard of the clinician. Some poorly done filling, restorations or treatments can actually have a negative impact on the adjacent teeth, gum or surrounding tissues.
On the other hand, at times I spend less time on treatment to minimise the negative effects on patients. For example, it may take me 15 minutes to do a surgical extraction, whilst a less experienced clinician might take an hour or even longer. There is a saying “If I do a job in 15 minutes, it’s because I spent 20 years learning how to do it in 15 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes”. It is the experience and the knowledge that I have gained over the past 20 years that makes it that less painful and less time the patient has to endure. That’s an example of a clinician’s experience with certain treatments.
The quality of the materials, equipment and instruments used.
The time allocated for pre-planning, planning, the procedure.
Post-treatment support, as well as the knowledge and experience of the clinician.
Simply call us, book online on our website, or send us a DM on social media, and we’ll be in touch to help you organise your consultation. We hope to meet you soon.
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The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional personal diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.
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