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- The type and price of an implant can vary depending on the implant material, surgical difficulty, and location (front teeth/molars).
- Price differences between implant types like Ostem and Straumann can vary up to 8 times due to material costs and surgeon expertise. Front teeth require more meticulous care due to their functional and aesthetic importance.
- As implant technology has become more standardized, the surgeon's skill has become more critical than the implant itself. Ostem and Straumann are leading implant brands with proven track records in Korea and internationally, respectively.
I will explain the surprising reasons why the prices of dental implants vary. When considering dental implants, you might have found it challenging to choose a clinic due to the price differences between them. Each clinic uses different types of implants, and even implants from the same company can vary in cost. I will discuss the reasons behind this.
Dental Implants
If you are 65 years of age or older, you are eligible for dental implant health insurance coverage. As of November 2022, the patient's share for an Osstem implant is approximately 390,000 won. When health insurance is applied, you only pay 30% of the total implant cost determined by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA). Of course, bone grafting costs are separate, and there are regulations regarding the use of specific materials.
Dental Implant Prices
So, what about the cost of dental implants when health insurance doesn't apply? According to the Health Insurance Service, the average price of dental implants is about 1.21 million won. However, relying solely on the average can lead to misunderstandings, so let me explain with a specific example.
Let's assume that a dental clinic offers two implant options: Osstem and Straumann implants. The Osstem implant costs between 1 million and 1.1 million won, while the Straumann implant ranges from 1.5 million to 1.6 million won.
Why is there a slight difference in price, even within the same type of implant? For example, why is an Osstem implant 1.1 million won and a Straumann implant 1.6 million won?
It's due to the difference between front tooth and molar implants. Which one is more expensive, front tooth or molar implants? It's the front tooth implants. This is because front teeth and molars differ fundamentally in their position within the mouth.
Front teeth, besides their chewing function, are also visible, so in addition to the principles that must be observed when placing molar implants, there are more considerations for achieving a natural and aesthetically pleasing outcome.
Therefore, during surgery and later when creating the artificial tooth (crown), more meticulous care is needed for front teeth compared to molars, resulting in a cost difference.
Reasons for Dental Implant Price Differences
Why is there a price difference between Osstem and Straumann implants? There are two main reasons. Firstly, the cost of the implant material supplied to the dental clinic itself differs. In terms of proportion, the difference can be 5 to 7 or even 8 times. This is why Straumann implants are considered the premier implant option among dentists.
The second reason for the price difference is the sensitivity of the procedure. Straumann implants require more intricate surgical techniques compared to Osstem implants. Therefore, surgeons need to be more meticulous and have a higher level of skill and experience, which also contributes to the price difference.
In Conclusion
The core value of dental implants lies in the surface treatment technology of the implant fixture. While numerous implant companies exist in Korea, it's safe to say that the technology level has largely reached a similar standard. Therefore, it's not necessarily true that a surgery with a cheaper implant will fail or a surgery with an expensive implant will succeed.
Currently, with implants becoming more standardized, the skill and approach of the surgeon are far more important factors than the implant itself. Osstem implants have been the most widely used and verified implant in Korea for a long time, and Straumann implants are widely recognized as the most used and verified implant globally.
Hopefully, this has helped clarify some of your questions about dental implant prices and provided you with a basis for making informed decisions. I also hope that any apprehension you might have felt about consulting with a dentist about implants has lessened.