How to Price Dental Bridge Work

Know your options when pricing dental bridgework. The number of missing teeth, their location and the health of bone and gum tissue determine whether you qualify for removable or fixed bridgework or the more expensive procedure, dental implants. Actual costs vary depending upon your geographic location and the materials used.

Things You'll Need

• X-rays
• Dental examination

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Instructions

• 1

  Get a cost estimate from more than one dentist. In addition to the prosthetic appliance, the total cost of bridgework includes extractions, anesthesia and specialty services such as endodontic or periodontal treatment. Few dental offices will quote fees over the telephone. Obtain a copy of your x-rays from your dentist and take them with you when you see other dentists for additional estimates. If you can save a few hundred dollars on your bridgework, the cost of one or two additional consultations is worth the price. If you have dental insurance, check your plan to determine if the cost of a second opinion is a covered option.

• 2

  Ask relatives or friends who have bridgework about their costs and how satisfied they are with their dentists and their prosthetic replacements. This is a good starting point, but keep in mind that the condition of each person's mouth prior to treatment has a major impact upon the ultimate cost of bridgework.

• 3

  Make certain your source of referral is someone you trust to give you an honest opinion. Before making an appointment, it is important to know something about the skill of the dentist and the quality of his work. Another thing to consider is that although another dentist may charge less for the services you require, if you trust your dentist and are happy with the treatment you have received to date, it is worth paying a little extra for your bridgework.

• 4

  Question your dentist about the maintenance and longevity of each option before making your selection. On his website, Martin S. Spiller, D.M.D., states that the least costly removable appliance is the flipper. However, dental insurance plans typically have a five-year replacement limitation on prosthetics. If you rely on your insurance to cover a portion of the cost and your flipper lasts less than five years, you must pay the full fee to have a new one constructed. If removable bridgework is your only option, a conventional partial denture, though it costs more than the flipper, is more durable and may be the better choice. If it is available to you, permanently cemented fixed bridgework is a more desirable, but more costly replacement for your missing teeth. Insurance plans that cover prosthetic replacements often have clauses disallowing benefits for replacement of teeth lost prior to coverage. Some plans only allow benefits for fixed bridgework if a limited number of teeth are missing in each jaw. The most costly option, dental implants, last about 10 to 20 years, according to Colgate.com, but they require fastidious oral hygiene and strict adherence to maintenance.