The Hidden Expense of Low Cost Veneers

It seems like everyone has some sort of deal these days with respect to cars, homes, consumer products, and even cosmetic surgery and dentistry. Long gone are the days where people don’t have access to the Internet where they can scourer sites and do research for the

best deal. But when it comes to finding a lower price for cosmetic dentistry, are the really getting the better end of the bargain?

In the field of cosmetic dentistry, for example, prospective patients are searching for “low cost veneers” or “cheap veneers” or other similar searches. What might turn up in their search are basically the lowest tier doctors that need to offer too-good-to-be-true specials for veneers or Groupon mass-appeal specials in order to lure in patients to their dwindling practice.

“People are not always looking for quality these days or at least they do not understand the importance of getting quality treatment with respect to dentistry until it’s too late,” says top cosmetic dentist Dr. Charles Nottingham of Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry.

Patients know that they want veneers and will do whatever it takes to get them as cheap as possible from offices that offer that. What patients don’t foresee is the hidden costs behind getting cheap veneers.

Many of these offices that offer a Groupon or ridiculously low rate of something like $2999 for 8 veneers. This breaks down to $374 per tooth (which gets split by 50/50 with the marketing company). Thus, the dental office really only makes $187 per tooth which includes the cost of the porcelain veneer as well as the doctors time.

No quality lab in the US offers good or even adequate products for $187 per tooth. I guess the old line applies here, You get what you pay for.