Dental implants are often the best option for replacing damaged, unhealthy or missing teeth. However, the price range commanded by this gold standard of tooth replacement may come as a surprise. The cost of dental implants varies depending on the dental practice and the complexity of each procedure. The elements that go into the final cost of your new tooth or teeth include a comprehensive dental exam, including 3D imaging, extraction of problem teeth if necessary, installation of the dental implant(s), placement of the abutment hardware, fabrication of the dental crown, and placement of the crown. Some dental practices offer a free computed tomography (CT) scan at the beginning of the process as an incentive (the CT scan helps determine your suitability for dental implants). But if you have to pay for that 3D imaging, you could be billed between $350 and $515 for the service.
Overall, implants are a lifetime investment and are priced accordingly. Levin estimates the total cost per tooth, start to finish, normally runs between $3,000 and $4,500, and a person who needs a mouthful of implants is looking at a final price of between $60,000 and $90,000.
The main reason that there’s no standard price is because no two procedures are the same. “Unlike a single service, like a filling, implant fees are assessed on the type and complexity of the work,” he says.
In other words, variables like whether you have a CT scan done in the preliminary exam or require a sinus lift or bone graft—and what kind of bone graft—all affect the final price.
Additional factors that influence the price of your dental implants include your practitioner’s location—large metropolitan areas tend to be more expensive.