GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dental work is expensive. It can typically cost an arm and a leg, especially if you need a handful of replacements.
However, not every dentist offers a way to pay over time and may require money upfront. If you do your research, there is a way to find your smile while saving a ton of money ahead of the holidays.
'30 grand… 40 grand… 90 grand'
A lot of people experience sticker shock when they encounter the price range of a tooth replacement, something that’s often the best option for replacing damaged, unhealthy, or missing teeth.
“Crazy money,” said Frederick Lama from Buckeye.
Lama was told he would have to spend tens of thousands of dollars for dental work.
“30 grand… 40 grand… 90 grand,” he said.
Denise McGrath from the East Valley also had a horrible experience.
“Way expensive,” she said. “The gentleman literally said, ‘Do you like your smile’ and I said ‘Well, not really’ and then he literally kind of left.”
And when Damon Gunderson from Peoria went to his dentist, he left in shock.
“She’s like 'You need this great big makeover' and then she plopped me with this $50,000 bill,” he said.
So, Gunderson decided to leave the country to look for a less expensive way to get the work done.
“I went to Los Algodones in Mexico, and I’ll never go back there,” he said. “…and then I got a second opinion up here, and it was still too high.”
After several bad experiences, they connected with Dr. James Chaffin, who has been practicing dentistry in Arizona since 2004. He changed their perspective.
'We’re going to give the gift of about a million dollars of surgery away'
“They understand people don’t have that much money,” said McGrath.
Chaffin's team gave McGrath options so he could afford a new smile.
“We’re all retired teachers… we’re all teachers here,” said Chaffin, who’s a surgeon and faculty member at a post-grad educational program called Simply Implants Institute in Glendale.
The school recently decided to give the gift of surgery.
“For the next two months we are going to be doing all the surgeries ourselves,” said Chaffin. “We’re going to give the gift of about a million dollars of surgery away.”
From now until the end of the year, they’re doing it to say thank you to the community, for supporting their school, and to give people their smiles back.
“It’s fun to watch,” said Chaffin. “…and that’s that journey that I teach my doctors, you’re changing lives, which is a lot of fun.”
He says whether you need one implant, four implants or all your teeth out - all the surgery is included.
“God gave us the skills to be able to help somebody, and that’s what we want to do,” Chaffin said.
Chaffin and his team are truly rescuing many Arizonans who have felt the financial burden of dental work but are now feeling relieved.
“I saved about $50,000… $50,000 plus,” said Frederick.
They’re helping people save big.
“I saved myself tens of thousands of dollars,” said Gunderson.
“They saved me a lot of money,” said McGrath.
Now, they can focus on other things, aside from their teeth.
“Christmas, I guess,” said Gunderson.
“Maybe I will end up buying a house or a new car one day,” said McGrath.
Chaffin says a lot of times people can afford a denture, but they can’t afford the surgery, so that’s what they’re covering - dental implant surgeries, extractions, and bone grafting, saving you between 30-40%.
A few other ways to save is to compare clinics before deciding. Be sure to call around to get quotes from different dentists.
Review your insurance coverage as dental insurance doesn't often cover a large percentage of dental procedure costs, but some plans do cover a fraction of the overall cost.
And finally, be sure to look into dental schools, like in this case. A lot of colleges and universities have dental schools that provide dental care at reduced costs.
For more information about Simply Implant Institute, click here.