Dental implants cost Australia: calculate your own quote

A dental implant is a metal screw, usually made of titanium, that replaces the root of a missing tooth. Your dental professional attaches an artificial tooth to it. Healthdirect notes that more than one appointment is needed to prepare and fit an implant. That is why the dental implants cost in Australia is rarely one single figure. A quote usually lists several stages: the consultation and scans, the surgery to place the implant, the connecting part called the abutment, and the crown on top. Some plans also include extractions, bone grafting, a temporary tooth or sedation.

This calculator does not use average prices. Healthdirect explains that there are no standard fees for dentists in Australia, as there are for doctors, and that each clinic sets its own fees. Instead, you type in the amounts from your own written quote. The tool adds them up, shows which items make up the biggest share and works out your own share after any rebate. That makes it easier to compare two quotes line by line, rather than two headline totals that may include different things.

Healthdirect says the Australian Government does not generally cover the costs of dental services, so you will usually pay for implants yourself. If you have private health insurance with extras cover, your fund may pay part of the cost. Implants usually count as 'major dental', and funds use different terms, benefit levels and yearly limits. According to privatehealth.gov.au, waiting periods for extras are set by each insurer and can be 12 months or more for major items. Ask your fund for the benefit in writing, quoting the item numbers on your treatment plan.

Some people have other options. Healthdirect notes that holders of a Veteran's Gold or White Card may be able to claim the cost of dental implants. Adults with a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card can use public dental services, although the services offered and the waiting times differ between states and territories. Before you agree to treatment, healthdirect suggests asking what each procedure costs, asking for the item numbers and comparing a few practices.

• Ask for a written, itemised quote with item numbers after an examination
• Check whether scans, the abutment, the final crown and reviews are included
• Ask your health fund what it pays for each item number and whether a waiting period applies

Many readers of this site are weighing up treatment at home against treatment in Turkey. You can run this calculator once for each quote. Make sure both include the same stages. Implant treatment happens in steps, and healthdirect says it takes about three months for the bone to grow around the implant. A plan abroad may therefore need more than one trip, and flights and accommodation are not part of a dental quote. Our Turkey teeth calculator adds those travel costs for you.

Smartraveller advises talking to your doctor in Australia about your plans before you travel for treatment, and it notes that Medicare does not cover you overseas. The Australian Dental Association's policy is that elective dental treatment should be done in Australia, partly because follow-up visits and records can be hard to access. Whatever you are considering, ask your dentist which questions matter for your own mouth before you compare prices.