The quote arrived, you read the number at the bottom, and the letter went straight into a drawer. Before you rule implants out, it helps to know what goes into that total, and which parts only some people need.
It’s fine to be nervous about the cost. Take the estimate home and sleep on it if you like. Asking for one doesn’t commit you to an implant.
Any patient can book a free 10-minute session to talk about implants or cosmetic treatment. It’s an information session about the options and your goals, not an examination, diagnosis, suitability check, treatment plan or quote. Availability and booking conditions apply. Read the current offer details before booking.
Every implant estimate we write puts each stage on its own line, with its cost beside it.
Because you’re paying for a plan built around your mouth, not a product off a shelf. Not everyone needs every stage, and these three things move the total most.
One tooth with a crown is a different plan from several teeth on a bridge, a denture that clips onto implants, or a full arch. Your estimate says which teeth it covers, what’s being made, and whether the result is fixed or comes out.
Your gums, a tooth that has to come out, your other teeth or the bone can need attention before an implant goes in. None of it is automatic. We’ll show you which finding adds a stage, usually on your X-ray, and whether that stage is definite or only possible.
The implant takes 3–6 months to fuse with the bone, and an extraction or graft adds healing time before that. A longer plan usually means more visits, and sometimes a temporary tooth to tide you over, so it carries more lines.
Once you know what each plan covers, you can line two estimates up and compare them line by line.
There are no prices here, and not every line will apply to you. It’s a guide to the estimate you’ll be handed.
| Line on the estimate | What it covers | What we’ll explain |
|---|---|---|
| Examination and planning | The examination, records and X-rays where they’re needed. | Which X-rays you need, what each one shows, and whether they’re included. |
| Preparation, if needed | Gum treatment, taking a tooth out, healing time or a bone graft. | Which of these are definite, and which depend on what we find. |
| Surgery | Placing the implant, and the aftercare that goes with it. | Which surgery is planned, and whether the reviews after it are included. |
| The new tooth | The crown, bridge or denture, the small part that joins it to the implant, lab work and any temporary tooth. | Exactly what’s being made, and anything that isn’t included. |
| Looking after it | Reviews after surgery, then regular check-ups for the new tooth. | How cleaning, check-ups and any future repairs are handled. |
The examination, records and X-rays where they’re needed.
We’ll explain: Which X-rays you need, what each one shows, and whether they’re included.
Gum treatment, taking a tooth out, healing time or a bone graft.
We’ll explain: Which of these are definite, and which depend on what we find.
Placing the implant, and the aftercare that goes with it.
We’ll explain: Which surgery is planned, and whether the reviews after it are included.
The crown, bridge or denture, the small part that joins it to the implant, lab work and any temporary tooth.
We’ll explain: Exactly what’s being made, and anything that isn’t included.
Reviews after surgery, then regular check-ups for the new tooth.
We’ll explain: How cleaning, check-ups and any future repairs are handled.
We go through the estimate with you one line at a time, at whatever pace suits you, and that includes the questions that feel awkward to ask. Money is an ordinary thing to talk about here.
We start with what we found and which teeth the plan covers, so the total is tied to something you can see for yourself.
Every stage from the table above is marked as included, not needed, or only if we find something. A missing line shouldn’t turn up later as a surprise.
You’ll see roughly when each stage falls and when each payment is due, so nothing lands all at once. A staged plan isn’t a booked date, and it doesn’t mean finance is approved.
We’ll also talk through a bridge, a denture or leaving the gap for now, with what each involves to look after. Sometimes the right answer for your budget isn’t an implant, and we’ll say so.
If something turns up once treatment has started, such as less bone than expected or a tooth that needs work first, we stop and explain what it means for the total before we go any further.
The estimate shows how long its figures hold, and who to ring on (08) 9407 7888 with a question. Keep it with any finance paperwork you’re looking at.
Get the plan settled before you look at payment, so you know exactly what you’d be paying off. Then use whatever suits you: a health fund claim, one of the options below, or a mix. The fund or provider, not us, decides on cover or approval, and we won’t steer you towards any of them.
We’re a preferred provider for Bupa Members First, HCF and nib First Choice, and we accept HBF and other private fund claims. What you get back depends on your own policy and the items claimed. Hand us your fund card when you come in, and we’ll confirm whether the claim can be made then, before any treatment starts.
A buy-now-pay-later account, if Zip approves you. The fees, limits and minimum repayments are set out in the current Zip information and the Zip Pay terms.
Zip says Zip Money starts with an interest-free period of at least three months, and interest may apply after that. The current Zip information and the Zip Money terms explain the account fee and what happens to any balance left at the end.
We can talk about spreading the cost with us directly, tell you whether that’s possible for your plan, and put the terms in writing: the deposit, how payments line up with each stage, any fees, and what happens if the plan changes.
A finance option that charges interest and has its own eligibility rules. You’ll need ID and proof of income, and the lender may ask for bank or loan statements. The rate and repayment terms are in the current Pretty Penny information.
An instalment option for people 18 or over with valid ID and an active debit or credit card, repaid by weekly direct debit. The establishment and other fees are in the Fund My Dental terms.
An interest-free option may still include fees, and no provider has to approve you. Whichever you choose, set what you’d repay in total beside the treatment total before you sign.
Using super early is a big decision, and it isn’t ours to make. It isn’t a routine way to pay for dental care. Access is limited, you’ll need evidence, and the ATO or your super fund makes the call.
Compassionate release and severe financial hardship are separate routes, decided by different people. The official pages below set out what each one needs. A quote or clinical report from us is part of the evidence, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be approved.
Money taken out now isn’t there when you retire, and there can be tax and other consequences. A licensed financial adviser or a financial counsellor can talk that through with you properly.
Choose the treatment on what your mouth needs, then work out how to pay for it. Mentioning super to us doesn’t commit you to using it, or to going ahead.
These answers are general. Which of them apply to you depends on what your dentist finds when they examine your teeth, gums and bone.
No. The fee follows what we find when we examine you, so any figure before that would be a guess, and a guess is the last thing you need when you’re already worried about the bill.
It can mean just the post that sits in the bone, or the whole package: the post, the new tooth on top and the visits around it. If one quote looks much lower than another, this is usually why.
Then say so. Nobody here will think less of you for it. An implant plan already runs over several months, so we can look at doing the work in stages, or at the payment options above.
Possibly some of it, depending on your policy and the items claimed. We put the item numbers on your estimate, so your fund can tell you what it would pay back before you decide anything.
The provider does, using its own rules, not us. If an application is turned down, your treatment plan stays exactly as it was.
We’ll give you the treatment details and the itemised costs the process asks for. The application itself, and the decision, sit with the ATO or your super fund.
Yes, and we won’t mind at all. Each stage sits on its own line with what it covers, so another dentist can read it as easily as you can. A second opinion before an implant is a sensible thing to get.
Not always. Whatever you pay, the new tooth still needs cleaning, check-ups and now and then a repair. We include the looking-after side when we go through your estimate, so you’re comparing like with like.
This is general information, not advice from your dentist or independent financial advice. Costs are confirmed before treatment begins, and can change if the examination changes the plan. Finance approval, health fund rebates and early release of super each depend on the provider, your policy, the government process and eligibility rules. Results, risks, complications and recovery times vary between individuals. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
