Dental treatments are provided by trained doctors who go through many years of education. Additionally, dentists have to bear the cost of most of their dental equipments all throughout their degree and after that for setting up a clinic as well. Dental school is certainly expensive due to infrastructure and specialized training. Ultimately, that reflects on the cost of dental services.

Why are dentists bound to charge you a bomb amount of money?

Inflation is on the rise. Even a basic dental setup with a single dental chair, X-ray machine, connection to the compressor and all that jazz will cost lakhs of rupees today. This equipment is not just expensive to purchase but also to maintain.

Additionally, surgical tools, the materials and medicaments used in dentistry including local anesthesia, etc. also contribute to this extravagant cost. Dental practitioners also have to pay laboratories for the technical work they give them for things like dentures and crowns.
This is the main reason why dental treatment is one of the costliest part of healthcare today.

A basic teeth cleaning procedure typically ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2000 depending on your case and the type of clinic. Hence, costs vary from place to place according to the type of clinical setup and professional doctors.

Covid-19 cases are on the rise and with more sanitization protocols to follow, dentists are taking extra precautions for the safety of their patients. With this dentist have not yet hiked the costs of their treatments to that extent.

You are the real reason for your heavy dental bills

In India, of course there is lack of awareness regarding oral health and disease. You have a stomach upset and you want to see a doctor as soon as possible, but if you experience a toothache you want it to heal on its own and not see a dentist unless its unbearable. As a result, people tend to ignore their dental health or only attend to their dental problems in extreme situations.

A simple cavity if detected early can be treated with a simple filling. A simple filling will not be as expensive. But if ignored the cavity just progresses and reaches a state where it cannot be treated with a simple filling and needs a root canal treatment which is more expensive. Further ignored the tooth goes for an extraction for which artificial teeth need to be replaced just increasing the cost of your treatment. Hence, the day you opt for preventive dental treatments you will not find dental treatments that expensive. 

Dental tourism in India is now trending as it is more cheaper

People may also find dental treatments expensive relative to how low their oral health ranks on their list of priorities. But believe it or not, the cost of dental treatments in India is much less expensive than in other countries. This is the very reason that dental tourism is hiking. People from all across the country find coming to India and getting dental treatment done more cheaper than getting it done abroad.

There are also a lot of external factors that influence the rates of dental treatments to make them expensive. Worldwide inflation affects healthcare to a great extent. Still, dental costs have not risen to that extent as compared to the economy. In India, GST which is the goods and services tax is also applicable to dental materials and equipment. Other taxes may apply to the laboratory services that dentists require.

Malpractice insurance is a large part of expenses for dentists in western countries. A lot of patients from first world countries go for dental tourism to save costs. Dental tourism is the practice of traveling to another region or country to get dental treatments at affordable rates. For example, a person from the UK may travel to India for dental procedures which will surely cost him a fraction of the money, with equally good treatment success.

Dental insurance

If you are finding dental bills heavy there is someone that can help you. Yes! dental insurance.

Dental insurance refers to the cover provided for dental procedures (not including cosmetic dentistry) that are deemed necessary by a medical professional. Procedures would be classified under either preventive or diagnostic. A few of the procedures that are covered under dental insurance include filling of caries, tooth extractions, dentures, root canal procedures, etc.

There are many dental insurance companies in India like the Bajaj Alliance health guard policy, Apollo Munich maxima health insurance and many such more companies that include dental insurance. The Bharti AXA Smart Health Insurance Plan, which covers dental treatment up to a maximum of Rs.5,000.

OCare, an insurance Process as a Service (PAAS) platform has recently launched India’s first dental insurance plan. The plan provides insurance up to Rs.25,000 a year per person and covers pre-existing dental conditions as well. Additionally, the plan provides two dental check-ups a year as well as a loyalty card that is redeemable on dental services.
If you visit the dentist for regular checkups and cleaning-polishing every 6 months believe me you will not even need dental insurance. Prevention is the key to save yourself from heavy dental bills.

The bottom line

To conclude, dentistry, unlike other medical professions, involves a lot of investments made by the clinician. Medical science and surgical procedures go hand in hand when it comes to the business of a dental practice.

Wrong assumption:
It is not necessary that lower prices mean lower skills of the dentist or vice versa.

Lasers and newer advanced equipment in dentistry may be on the costly side but also help to improve the treatment success and patient comfort. So, it is certainly true that a more specialized clinic comes with a heavier dental bill.

How can you save your dental bills

Visit your dentist for regular dental checkups. Get your treatments done at the earliest and do not wait for the disease to progress.

Maintain your dental hygiene. Prevention is better than cure.

Get cleaning and polishing done every 6 months from your dentist.

 Highlights

• Why are dentists charging you a bomb amount of money?
• You are the real reason for your heavy dental bills
• Save yourself with dental insurance
• It is not necessary that lower prices mean lower skills of the dentist or vice versa
• Trust your dentist. 6 monthly dental visits can save it all.