Why Are Smile Makeovers So Expensive?

Fees for smile makeovers can be very confusing, and I likely can only add to the confusion.  Similar to fees for buying a new car, where one can be had for under $10,000 and can also cost well over $100,000.  Why the difference?  Don't they do the same thing?

Many dentists offer smile makeovers and have no experience or training (it is not taught in dental school), or use labs that cannot create life-like restorations.  Yet other dentists have years of experience, extensive extra training and use labs that create works of art.  Experienced dentists often can make the process very comfortable and quick, while others can create quite an ordeal.

There are many variables that go into fees for smile makeovers.  This is something where one can truly say, "you get what you pay for," as much of our makeovers are "re-do" cases from previous attempts.

A Smile Makeover  may cost over $50,000 if  it involves a Full Mouth Reconstructions but some smile makeovers may not require much work and hence the cost is a lot lower.  Treatment such as  Full mouth reconstruction involves a lot of steps and is very complex.  Other than the actual work that is done in the mouth there is a lot of planing and thought that goes into such cases.   It is always important that you find a dentist that has done such cases especially if they involve a lot of treatment.  If a case is planned properly the results are great and well worth the investment.  It is not uncommon to buy an expensive car knowing that we will only keep it for a few years but we tend to forget that our teeth will be with us for the long haul.  So just remember that your teeth, your mouth and your health are a worth while investment.

I know it's difficult for dental patients to understand why advanced procedures can cost so much. There are so many things that need to be considered. The details can be endless. The training, qualifications, experience and skill of the treating dentist is certainly a big factor. The same applies to the dental laboratory selected. When taking a step as big as this most patients want a Master Level Dentist and Dental Ceramist. Your mouth is no place for on-the-job training. Too many things can go wrong in the process if the dentist isn't fully trained and prepared. These advanced skills are not taught to the undergraduate dental students in dental schools. It's also important to understand there are significant costs to the dentist that need to be paid. The bigger the case, the more it costs the dentist to do it. This is called overhead and it encompasses everything that goes into building, supplying, running and staffing a dental clinic. And don't forget the taxman. He always gets his. This all comes out of dental fees.