How Much Should I be Paying for a Bridge?

Q.
Hello. I see on your website the cost of a bridge is between 300 and 900 pounds per unit. I have to re-do a bridge which is made of one missing tooth (canine), 2 crowns on one side and 1 on the other side. I have been quoted 1,000 pounds per tooth, total 4,000 pounds. It seems quite high to me, so I wanted to get your opinion. Note that the dentist has given that to me as a fixed price, we haven’t done x-rays yet, so the price is not due to my specific circumstance. What do you think? Many thanks.
A.
Thank you for your questions.

If I may answer the query about the quoted costs of treatments first. The “estimates” given are always guidelines. Costs vary dependent on many factors but two major ones are usually the level of quality of the treatment and the complexity or challenges for that one particular case for that patient. Location can also play a role and so in London you can find bridges that cost well over £1000 a unit.

The second thing to say is that there are so many different things to consider when it comes to your specific circumstance other than just the appearance of your teeth on an x-ray. Some very important things to analyse are your bite and function (how the teeth work together and how strongly your biting muscles work), the aesthetic demands of your situation, how long the bridge ‘span’ is, whether it’s at the front or the back of the mouth, what the condition of the supporting teeth are, the condition of your gums and how much tooth volume is available on the supporting teeth. Prices can be quoted but are usually ‘estimates’ as sometimes complications can arise or are not initially apparent. In general the most outstanding work is done by the best dentists and these treatments will usually last longer so you need to consider your treatment as an investment and how much ‘value’ does the dentist’s fee bring and not look just at a price. A bridge that looks average and breaks after 4 years at £500 a unit is worth far less than a bridge that looks like your own teeth and lasts 20 years at £1000 a unit.

Hope that helps? If your treatment is of an exceptional standard £1000 a unit is good value in my opinion.

Kind regards,  Mark.

Dr Mark Hughes Harley Street Dental Studio 52 Harley Street, London W1G 9PY Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981 View My Profile Dr Hughes

Leave a Reply