A SHORT GUIDE TO DENTAL FEES

It is one of the oldest jokes relating to Dentistry - "I thought my tooth hurt until I got to the desk and received the bill!!"

Fees for dental services are a reality of private practice dentistry. As private clinics are not subsidised by the government - fees are charged to cover:

	The operational costs of the Clinic (the actual building)
	Specialist dental materials and equipment
	Specialist dental laboratory appliances and services
	The maintenance and replacement of dental equipment
	Cleaning and issues associated with Infection control
	Dental support staff wages - and, of course -
	The Dental Practitioner's wages.

The actual cost of any dental procedure is related to the above and influenced by the complexity of the treatment. Thus - the cost of a root canal treatment on a molar (back) tooth will be more then a small, single surface filling on a front tooth.

Since most dental treatment usually involve several procedures, simply publishing a fee schedule will not represent the individual cost of any one patients dental problem (or problems). However, to act as a guide to our fees at Comprehensive Dental Care, the list below may be of some help. It is not intended to be complete. The only way to properly assess your dental problem is at an examination. Only at this stage can we provide an intelligent and fair estimate of the fee for your treatment.

(See the bottom of this page for a story I often relate regarding dental fees)

Examinations and Consultations

Note: Reduced fees are applied to child dental examinations & cleans.

Examinations and Tooth Cleaning - X-rays

*Classified as a recall scale & clean only. If less cleaning is required - the fee will be less. If more extensive tooth cleaning is required, several appointments are often need and a fee will be discussed.

Tooth Removal

Dental Restorations (fillings)

Crowns - Full Coverage or 3/4 Veneer Crowns

Root Canal Treatment

Dental Fees and Telephone Shopping

My reception and nursing staff often relate to me tales of patients calling dental practices to get quotes for their treatment. It is usually an exasperating experience for the patients and my staff alike. Unless they call and are very specific as to their treatment needs, it is not possible to provide a accurate treatment costing.

I often compare it to shopping over the phone for a quote from a panel beater for your damaged car. Unless you can report the full extent of the damage to your car and whether the parts are to be repaired or replaced, I doubt any panel beater will be able to help you. They need to see the damaged car - then they can discuss repair or replacement, repair times, warranties, etc.

It is the same with your mouth. Once we can detail the problem, we can usually be very specific as to the treatment options, time frames of treatment and costs. In many cases - the cost of the initial examinations/consultations will be absorbed within the total treatment costs.

Dr Anthony Burke