Dental implants are a major investment, and Dr. Kendall is blunt about why the questions you ask beforehand matter so much. Almost every week, our team sees someone who spent $25,000, $30,000, or even $50,000 on treatment somewhere else that didn't last or wasn't done properly, and now that work has to come out, surgery has to be redone, and the teeth have to be replaced.
Watch: Questions You Need to Ask Before Getting Dental Implants
Here are the questions he recommends asking any office, including ours.
1. Who Handles Your Sedation?
Ask whether the office has an on-site CRNA or anesthesiologist they employ specifically for sedation, or whether the dentist sedates you while also performing your surgery. If it's the dentist, ask about his or her qualifications. Someone whose only job is monitoring you is how you make sure you're safe for the entire procedure. Our post on why an in-house CRNA makes sedation safer explains the difference.
2. Do They Have an On-Site Lab?
Are your teeth designed and made in-house, or sent to an outside lab, sometimes in another country, to cut costs? What's the turnaround time when something needs to be made or adjusted? Is it a three-week wait, or can the office handle it quickly in-house? An in-house lab affects the quality of your teeth and how fast problems get solved.
3. What Kind of Implants Do They Use?
Ask whether they use traditional implants or mini implants. Dr. Kendall's advice is to avoid mini implants unless you're only securing a lower denture; that's really the only thing he would use them for. A fixed full-arch smile needs the support of full-size implants.
4. Can You See Their Results, and Talk to Their Patients?
How many videos and success stories can you watch? Do they have patients who have been living in their teeth for years and are still happy, and can you talk to them? Social proof from real, long-term patients tells you far more than an ad. You can see ours in our before and after gallery.
5. What Is Guaranteed or Warrantied?
Ask what kind of warranties they have on the implants and on the teeth, and get 100% clear on the details. Do they offer anything like a Love Your Smile Money Back Guarantee? At our office, your fully fixed dental investment is protected by our Love Your Smile Money Back Guarantee. This means that if you don't love your Diamond Level Ultimate Smile for any reason, we'll give 100% of your smile money back, guaranteed.
6. Who Will Maintain Your Implants?
If an office only places implants and doesn't provide cleanings, someone else will have to maintain them, often at a high price. Ask up front who handles your long-term care. Dr. Kendall explains why in potential long-term complications of dental implants.
Watch: Dr. Kendall Is Sick and Tired of Seeing This
Cheapest Isn't the Same as Least Expensive
These questions all play into cost. A low price looks appealing until the work has to be removed and done again, and then you've paid twice. If you're going to do implants, you want to do them once, with the right equipment, the right training, and a team that stands behind the result. That's also why it's worth understanding why some providers offer cheap implants.
Saving money is not about going for the cheapest option, because the most expensive thing you'll buy is the thing that doesn't last.
Ask Us Anything
At Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center, we welcome every one of these questions. Bring this list to your visit and hold us to it. Schedule your complimentary Ultimate Smile Assessment, a $500 value that includes a 3D CBCT scan.
