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Looking for a new smile, cheap.

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Dr. Hall,
I have been to my dentist regarding eight of my slightly discoloured front upper teeth, and he has recommended composite bonding for those upper eight teeth – cost is £2,400. A year ago I tripped over a pavement curb and broke the bottom half of my right upper front tooth. My dentist did a good job in making it a whole tooth again – albeit I have an unsightly gap there which wasn’t there before. However, that tooth he worked on (presumably done with composite bonding) stands out like a sore thumb, as it has now discoloured more than all my other teeth.
Veneers are awfully expensive when going through your dentist, but I’ve seen veneers you can buy online without seeing a dentist for around about £700 for the full upper teeth – not too sure how these will fit on my full upper teeth though. Be nice to hear a comment on the above?
– John Van der Mark from the UK

(See Dr. Hall’s answer below.)


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John,
First, my short answer is to no way get the composite bonding. Read through the emails I’ve received about cosmetic dentistry horror stories. There are 19 posted on the main website, and an additional 39 horror stories posted on the blog. If you read through those, you’ll see many of them felt that their teeth looked better before any work was done. In the United States, only 1-2% of dentists are capable of doing beautiful cosmetic dentistry. In the UK, I believe that is an even lower percentage. And from the cheap price your dentist is asking, I can’t imagine that a quality job is being offered.

On top of this, composite veneers are the most demanding procedure done by a cosmetic dentist. This is the hardest part of the accreditation examination for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, because it requires a great deal of artistic talent and manual dexterity to hand sculpt these veneers.

And finally, composite does not create the most durable surface. As you have discovered, it can look great when it is placed but in time it will attract stain, turning yellow or even brown. While most of the stains stay on the surface as it becomes roughened over time, some stains are actually absorbed into the material. If a proper, polishable composite is placed on the surface, and it is polished to a high shine, these veneers can look good for two or three years. Your front tooth looked good for much less time than that, possibly because of the choice of material your dentist made. Porcelain, on the other hand, is practically impervious to stain and retains its gloss for a lifetime, if properly cared for. If done well, a composite veneer should cost maybe half, maybe 3/4 what a porcelain veneer would cost. So which is more expensive, composite veneers that have to be replaced every two or three years, or porcelain veneers that may last 20 years? Get your calculator out—composite veneers are way more expensive.

I’ll take on the online veneers in my next blog post, Should I buy dental veneers online?.

– Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below. Or click here to ask Dr. Hall a question.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

How do I get a refund from my dentist?

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Dear Dr. Hall,
I found you searching for “refund protocol from a dentist.” I hope you can help me.
I paid for a service through Care Credit about 4 years ago. I’ve already paid Care Credit off. The initial work was never done but other work was. I no longer wish to go to this Office, and asked for a refund of the remaining balance. They seem to be dragging their feet. Is the check written in office or is that something that comes from somewhere else?
-Josie from Houston


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Josie,
Care Credit pays the dentist up front for the work done, after you have signed the contract. They deduct certain fees from what they pay him. If you didn’t get the work done then absolutely the dentist needs to refund the balance to you. It needs to come out of his pocket.

The first and most effective place to complain if they don’t do this would be to the dental board. The dental board has power over the dentist’s livelihood. So I would call your dentist and tell them you will do that if they don’t pay you promptly. Another weapon you have is online reviews, and you could threaten that, too. You could go to Yelp, Google, or Facebook. About 2/3 of prospective new patients will check online reviews before selecting a new dentist, and most dentists are particularly sensitive about bad reviews.
– Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below.

Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

The hundred thousand dollar smile makeover

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Dear Dr. Hall,
I have had a terrible experience with my “smile-makeover.” It turned out horrible, so the dentist just refunded my money, and I am looking for a new dentist. I found your website while I was still his patient and was able to figure out that he had little to no knowledge of what you describe as a true cosmetic dentist.

So I made appointments with the first 3 cosmetic dentists on your list. I must say I was so disappointed with the 1st. While he rightly said my bite was off, I was there for a 2nd opinion of the 6 upper anterior crowns I had. He said I would first need to spend $300-400 with his hygienist, and then, to deal with my bite issues and everything the cost would range between $50,000 and $100,000. “About the price of a new car,” he said. I only wish I could replace my 6-yr-old car bought used, for 1/3 his idea of a new car. He never got to what type of smile I would end up with, as his idea was to build up my back teeth and have “an appliance” covering several teeth and add porcelain “where needed.”

My teeth and gums are pristine according to a general dentist I went to for opinion and a periodontist I also went to for opinion earlier. I don’t understand why I need all of this, and I can’t begin to afford this and want your opinion.
Thanks,
– Sally from Texas


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Sally,
There’s a great variation in what some expert cosmetic dentists charge, and the fees you’ve been quoted are definitely on the high side, even if you actually need all the work that has been quoted. I would keep going down the list and get another opinion. Meanwhile, let me give you a little insight into what I think is going on in your case.

You said that you know your bite is off, and it appears that you’re being quoted a fee for a full-mouth reconstruction to rebuild your bite. Do you actually need that? I don’t know that, but I can tell you that some dentists are very fussy perfectionists and they insist that every patient accept what they call “ideal treatment.” Other dentists are more pragmatic and will consider other options for patients who can’t afford the ideal. Fortunately, you’re in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where we have several recommended cosmetic dentists. Go ahead and shop around for second opinions.

I want to tell you a story about this cost issue and dentists’ fee levels. There is a city where we have two recommended cosmetic dentists—let’s call them Dr. Expensive and Dr. Budget. Dr. Expensive is famous and has patients flying in from far and wide to see him. He does absolutely exquisite work. Dr. Budget also does very beautiful work and has won awards for the beauty of his work. Dr. Expensive’s fees are about triple of what Dr. Budget charges. Is Dr. Budget an inferior dentist? I don’t think so. I’ve seen his work and it is world class. And guess what, Dr. Expensive goes to Dr. Budget for his dental work.

So get another opinion or two.

Dr. Hall

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Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

I’d like to see cost information on the dentist’s website

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Dr. Hall,
Thank you for providing all the dental cost information.

I wonder if Dentists would be willing to post their dental cost on their website so that we don’t waste their time by not being able to afford their fee. Western Dental post their fees online. I love it because I can compare prices before I make an appointment.

Gilroy from California

Dear Gilroy,
As you’ve noticed, some dentists do post cost information on their website. But most don’t.

The reason is that most dentists aren’t angling for the “cheap dental care” market. They know how to trim costs, use cheaper materials, do procedures faster—all of these would enable them to charge cheaper fees. They just don’t want to practice dentistry that way.

If that is what you’re looking for, I would look for that cost information online, because those will be the dentists who want to compete on price. But I wouldn’t recommend that, even if you’re looking to save money. Which is cheaper, a $150 filling that lasts 5 years, or a $220 filling that lasts 25 years? Now, I’m not implying that the higher fee dentist is necessarily better. But I’m pretty sure that the cheapest dentist isn’t going to use the best materials and the most careful technique.

I do think that it’s smart to avoid dentists with exorbitant fees. I will tell you what I did when I moved to a new city and was trying to size up my options in selecting a dentist. I called the office and asked for fees for a couple of common procedures, to see if they were excessive. I was prepared to pay more than the going rate, but I didn’t want a dentist who was going to charge, say, double. To me, dentists like that aren’t the most caring, and that’s what I wanted to avoid. I would suggest asking for the fees for:
• a routine cleaning
• a two-surface composite filling on a back tooth
• a crown on a back tooth

Comparing those fees should give you an idea of the going rate in your community and help you know where each particular dentist stands as far as affordability.

– Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or a question or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below.

Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

Ridiculously expensive dental work

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Why is your dental work so ridiculously expensive? A front partial or even dentures are no where near as expensive. $800 or more per tooth is a price that most middle class families can’t afford. At $800 per tooth, four teeth would be $3200. At that price I can have many wonderful procedures done at my local dentist & here you are over-charging for a product that is a false representation of a what the wearer’s teeth condition actually is in the eye of outside observers. I’m appalled at your prices & you guys should be ashamed of charging such ridiculous amounts of money.
– Robert from Oklahoma

Robert,
I was struck by your comment, and while I am putting it in our “hate mail” category, I am not offended by the question or the premise. I think that deep down inside, you know the answer to your own question.

In my opinion, there is a place for cheap dentistry. There are ethical practitioners who try to keep their fees as low as they can while a clinic offering cheap dental carestill providing care with an acceptable level of quality. This clinic that I have pictured here doesn’t seem to be one of those places, but it might. But it is contrary to human nature to expect dentists who have driven themselves to provide the most beautiful smile makeovers for their patients to do so for cheap fees. Even those with a strong altruistic streak will charge fees that are above average. Some will charge whatever the traffic will bear and so will have fees three to five times the rates of their colleagues doing similar work. Some of the very high fee dentists will create work so meticulously perfect that there is no way they could charge less. That’s the nature of the market, which is a reflection of the variety of human nature.

On the whole, however, I think you will find that the cheapest of the dirt cheap dentists will not be as ethical a bunch as those who charge moderate fees.

A personal experience with discounted fees

On the issue of how to charge fees, I had an interesting learning experience in my dental practice. I was one of these dentists with a strong charitable streak, and I would feel sorry for patients who would come in with critical needs, who were willing to be treated but couldn’t afford what they needed. When I started, I would have my staff quote the regular fee and then offer a discount. We regularly had trouble with these patients. They became demanding and had a high tendency to complain about their services and even the discounted fee. What I did after I discovered this was that I would tell my staff not to tell the patient that this fee was discounted. We would discount it, sometimes charging only a fraction of the regular fee, but we would present it to the patient as “this is the fee,” as if it were the regular fee, without any mention of a discount. The complaints stopped. I’ll let you psychologists figure out that one. There is clearly a credibility gap in this world when you try to tell people you’re doing something out of the goodness of your heart. So I learned to just do it without making any attempt to trying to communicate to the patient that there was any “goodness of my heart” in the mix of what I was doing.

– Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or a question or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below.

Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

Where to go for free dental care

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Dear Dr. Hall, I am a 50 year old female. I am a recent breast cancer survivor. My mouth and my smile are in horrible conditions. I have 14 and a half teeth left; seven of them are in okay condition; in one, the nerve is exposed and on top of all of this, I have brackets on seven of them from when I had braces over 20 years ago. My mouth is in pain constantly. I am in the low income bracket and am currently unemployed. I cannot afford a simple cleaning so years have passed without being able to see a dentist. I stopped smiling a long time ago and find myself becoming a hermit inside my home. I hate being out in public and avoid any type of family gatherings. Is there anyone out there that can help me? I am so tired of living like this. Thank you for your help.
– Denise from Louisiana

Denise,
There are charitable clinics in many places that offer low-cost and even free dental care, though it may be tricky to find them. If you’re willing to invest some time, you can probably find one. Though keep your expectations low for the care you could get there. You could get cavities filled. Infected teeth could get extracted. You could definitely get your orthodontic brackets removed – that’s a fairly simple procedure. Don’t expect crowns or implants or anything fancy. You could maybe get a simple flipper partial replacing missing teeth.

Here are some ideas for finding a clinic like this. A simple search on Google for “free dentistry” probably wouldn’t work because these clinics generally depend on word-of-mouth for publicity and I’d be surprised if any of them had websites.

1. Try to track down a local dental society (name of your town with “dental society” in Google) and ask them.
2. If there is a dental school nearby, they may know. Some of these clinics end up getting staffed by dental students who are looking for additional experience.
3. Just look up websites of local dentists and read the doctor biography on each one. If the biography mentions that the dentist is involved in charitable work, that could be a clue that the dentist knows of one of these clinics, so call the office and ask what they know.
4. Contact other local charities and ask them. These charitable clinics will sometimes be fed by referral from other charities.

In addition, some dentists will set aside one day a year when they will do free dentistry to anyone who comes. This is done from a mix of charitable instincts and a desire for good publicity. You can find some of these dentists Dentists with a Heart free dental care by going to the website of the national organization Dentists with a Heart or doing a search on “dentists with a heart” in your community. Other dentists doing similar things may operate under different names.

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Keep asking around locally. I hope this works out for you, and I wish you well.

Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or a question or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below.

Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

Where to go for discount dental care

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Dr. Hall,
Are there dentists, or dental schools that do work for less costs or to train students? And if so how do I apply?
Ronnie from Ohio

Ronnie,
Yes, all dental schools will provide low-cost dental care if you are willing to have the work done by students. It is very slow for a couple of reasons. The students, being new, are very slow. And then they have to wait for instructors to check their work. But you do get discounted care. You may pay half of what you would otherwise.

As an example of how slow dental schools are, in private practice, if I had a patient that needed, say, three fillings, I would do those in one appointment that might take 45 minutes. In dental school, I would have done one filling each appointment, and each appointment would be about an hour and a half.

And at a dental school you have an assurance that the care is going to meet a basic acceptable standard. You’re not going to get top-of-the-line work from students, but you’re not going to have shoddy work either, like you might get at a discount dentist.

I see on the map that you’re about an hour from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Just Google their dental school and you should find a phone number on their website for patients to call to make appointments.

But don’t ever go to a dental school for cosmetic dentistry. They are in the business of training students in the technical skills needed to fix teeth and they tend to be totally dismissive of a patient’s appearance-related concerns. You are better off, in my opinion, doing nothing at all than having a student at a dental school do any appearance-related dental work on you.

Dr. Hall

Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

Is it possible to save a few dollars on a beautiful smile makeover?

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Dear Dr. Hall,
I had braces as a child however I never wore my retainer after they were removed due to the lisp they caused when I talked. As an adult, I’m now paying the price as my upper teeth are slightly crooked and my lower teeth have lots of crowding. My general dentist has also said I’ve worn the enamel off most of my teeth due to grinding/clenching. And to make everything worse, I have some yellow discoloration that my dentist has blamed on the large doses of antibiotics I was on as a child (was treated with IV antibiotics for several years on and off).

I also have a mild phobia of dentists and don’t go as often as I should.

The older I get, the more I realize that my smile is affecting my self-confidence and I really want to do something about it. I wouldn’t trust the guy I’m going to now for any cosmetic work, since reading your blog and looking at dozens of before and after shots from other dentist, I’m beginning to understand that you really need a professional who has a passion to get good quality work. A family member of mine has recommended me to his dentist, who did a lot of cosmetic work and gave him a beautiful smile makeover, but cost him upwards of $30,000+. I don’t have this kind of money to spend, and I personally think my family member was overcharged.

My question to you is can you recommend someone in my area that I can trust? I see a lot of advertisements in my area (I live close to NYC) for these “top rated” cosmetic dentists, but it seems like they all overcharge you so they can put another fountain in their office. I appreciate any feedback you can provide and I found your blog very knowledgeable!

Thanks,
Randy from New Jersey

Randy,
We have a variety of dentists that I recommend on mynewsmile.com as far as the fees that they charge. I don’t know the relative fees of most of the dentists we list – I do know some.

The ones we recommend in Manhattan are all expensive. And any dentist who markets heavily is likely to be expensive.

To get a handsome smile, it sounds like you will need a smile makeover with either porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. Probably porcelain crowns – since you say you have worn your teeth down from grinding your teeth.

Here’s what I would do. You’re in New Jersey. Call the dentists on our New Jersey page and ask what their fee is for a porcelain crown. Some won’t give you a fee over the phone, but some will. And use that to find a dentist who fits your budget.

All the dentists I recommend have passed my careful screening, so I have confidence in all of their work. But not all of them are expensive. So give that technique a try.

If a dentist is really expensive, it’s not an indication that they do great work. Some mediocre dentists charge high fees. However, if a dentist is really cheap, it is generally a good indication that the work is poor. Some excellent dentists have moderate fees, and some have high fees. But that is the extent that the old maxim “you get what you pay for” works. What you want to find is that excellent dentist in your area whose fees are moderate.

Dr. Hall

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About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

Trying to save money on Snap-on Smile – can I get it online?

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I would like to be able to order the snap-on-smile online. I don’t want to spend time in dentists offices. I know that all I would have to do is have my teeth impressions taken. I want to do this at home. I also know of a site that claims to do it, but the company has a lot of bad reviews from people that paid their money up front and did’t get their orders. I ask some one at the conpany of the site and I was told that the complaints was from one dissatisfied customer. I’m still leary of them. But I would really like to order the snap-on smile online from someone reliable. Do you happen to know of any reliable online companies?

Thanks for your reply.
– Gibbs from Chicago

Dear Gibbs,
Interesting question.

There’s a reason the site you found that claims to deliver a Snap-on Smile online is a sleazy site that cheats its customers. The reason is that this doesn’t work, doing it online. It would be kind of like getting a haircut online. That was creative of them – to tell you that all the complaints were from one dissatisfied customer. Sounds like you didn’t believe them. I don’t.

You start with the impressions. You could maybe get that without a dentist, but I’m not sure how you’d go about getting that done. The impressions have to be a certain level of quality, without distortion. There’s a certain amount of training required to do that right. Some dental assistants can do a good job of it, but not even all dental assistants could do an adequate impression for these purposes. And then there’s the problem of getting the Snap-on Smile ordered. By law, Den-Mat is required to take orders only from licensed dentists. So you would have to have someone lie in order to get this made without a dentist. And then the question comes up, would YOU trust this person who is willing to lie and break the law. Well, maybe you would. But there are certain things you have to know to tell Den-Mat about HOW you want the Snap-on Smile made. What shade will you tell them to make it? Do you know that terminology? What will you tell them as far as how much facial bulk to allow? Will it fit your bite? How will you figure that out?

But wait, you’re not done. Once you get it back from the lab, the Snap-on Smile has to be fitted. When it is done in the lab according to the model that is sent in, it doesn’t just automatically fit. In most cases it will have to be adjusted. Do you have tools for doing that? Will you know what you are doing? Maybe you’ll trim it here or there and then, all of a sudden, it’s too loose and won’t stay in. What do you do then?

I’m a “think outside the box” and “work outside the box” kind of guy, so I’d be all for creative ways for getting this done and simplifying it. But there are safeguards put in place and the reason they’re put in place is to keep businesses from scamming the public.

If it’s price you’re worried about, and you just want a basic Snap-on Smile that doesn’t need to look particularly great, you can call around and find out who will do it the cheapest, and you should be able to find someone who will do it for a couple of hundred over the lab cost. For front six teeth, the lab cost is $250. For all the upper teeth, the lab cost is $400. What a dentist charges over and above that will vary a lot from dentist to dentist. There will also be great variations in the quality of the result. But if you’re not fussy, you should be able to find someone who will do it cheap. Set a limit of, say $600, and I’ll bet you’ll find a taker if you call around and just ask, bluntly, if the dentist will do it for that, if you’re willing, say, to pay cash up front, so that there’s no risk for the dentist in not getting paid.

Dr. Hall

Links: Read more about the costs of cosmetic dentistry.

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About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

My teeth look terrible, but I need a discount or some help to afford to fix them.

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Hello there Dr. Hall,
I have a bunch of my teeth that are crooked and broken. I really hate the 2 upper left/right teeth next to the 2 front ones. They stick out almost straight. I have never been able to smile since I was a kid. I don’t beleive there is a picture with me smiling because of my teeth. I have always dreamed of having straight teeth since I was a kid. I am now almost 40 years old and still cannot smile when taking a picture or when talking to people. I try to use my mouth to cover it or try not to open it as much while holding my upper lip down. I really think I need to replace like 85% of my teeth. No matter what, I just want to know if there is a program where I can sign up and qualify to make payments or even to be used as an example for others like me. Please Dr. help me smile at least the rest of my life time so that my kids can see me smile.
– Edward from Arizona

Edward,
We see requests like this from time to time, from people who need a lot of dental work to look respectable and who ask about being a sample case or a display patient for a cosmetic dentist – to get work done at a discount in exchange for being willing to have their photographs shown as examples of the dentist’s work.

The problem with that is that almost everyone who has a smile makeover done by an excellent cosmetic dentist is so grateful for the beautiful work that is done that they are willing to let their photographs be shown as examples of the dentist’s work. So, to cut to the chase, you really don’t have anything of value to offer here. So you’re in the same boat as everyone else and needing to pay for your services.

Having said that, dentistry is a profession with a relatively high level of integrity and compassion. Now cosmetic dentists feel that they should be well compensated for all they invest into their work, and that is fair. But a significant number of them will work with you if you are willing to be reasonable with them and are not coming to them with a sense of entitlement or a chip on your shoulder, with resentment. Quite frankly, a large number of patients who come looking for discounts come with an attitude, and dentists will often “tune out” when they get requests like this. But a number of dentists volunteer their time to help victims of domestic violence, for example, and a few will actually travel to third world countries on occasion for humanitarian missions. Where there is a genuine need, and no sense of entitlement, they will come through. Now, not every excellent cosmetic dentist will do this, but a number of them do, and I would suggest calling around and asking whether they would be willing to work with you. They would probably ask that you pay a fair fee, but they would adjust the treatment plan and the pace of the work to fit your budget and give you any consideration that they could.

About payment plans, I learned early in my practice that it was not charity to extend a payment plan to someone who couldn’t afford my services or who didn’t have good credit. The patient might start out with good intentions, but almost always they would fall behind, end up delinquent, and it soured our relationship. After I discovered this, when I would have a patient in genuine need, I never set up a payment plan, but I would do the dental treatment they absolutely needed for a discounted fee, and it had to be paid at the time of service. Then, when they left the office, they were square with me and we didn’t have that payment agreement hanging over their head that always soured our relationship. So if you can genuinely qualify for a payment plan, then you can look for that. But if you have bad credit, don’t expect to be able to set up payments.

Check our list of recommended cosmetic dentists in Arizona, call them and see what you can find out.

Dr. Hall

Links: Read more about cosmetic dentistry costs.
Read reviews of Clear Choice Dental Implants Centers, and learn how they deal with the costs of dentistry.

We thank our advertisers who help fund this site.

About David A. Hall

Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.

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