How do people pay for full-arch dental implants?

What it costs, and when

Your fee is set at the time of surgery. It's one number for your whole treatment, with no string of separate bills.

That helps when you compare quotes. Some practices quote a lower first number because the first teeth are temporary, and the final teeth are billed later, sometimes months later, sometimes by someone else. If one of your quotes comes in stages, check what's included and when.

A deposit of $250 per case reserves your surgery date. It's refundable. The balance is due by the day of surgery. Travel packages work a little differently.

Financing, in plain terms

We work with several lenders, and they're quite different. Each approves different people, offers different terms, and some have an interest-free promotional period.

A few things to know before you start.

Applying won't hurt your credit score. These are soft credit pulls. Apply to all of them and compare.

One "no" doesn't mean much. Lenders look for different things, and they change over time. One of our partners approved few large amounts in its first couple of years with us. Now it's one of our highest approvers.

Most don't charge a prepayment penalty. With those, you can pick a longer term for a lower monthly payment and still pay it off early.

What lenders look at

More than your credit score. They also look at your income against your debts, your other loans, and how new they are. A car you just bought shows up on everything.

A few things that surprise people about their own credit:

• Paying every bill on time doesn't always mean a high score. A charge card you pay off each month may not be building credit at all.
• If your spouse holds the mortgage and the loans, those payments may not show on your report.
• Missed payments count against you, even if money wasn't the reason.

You can usually check your score through your bank. Small changes month to month don't matter. Big ones do.

If your score needs work, it usually takes months. Payments have to be made, reported and then scored. Be careful with credit-repair companies. Most people don't need one, and it's worth reading their reviews first, the same way you'd read ours.

Other routes people use

Here are other ways people have paid. They aren't recommendations, so talk them over with your own adviser.

Home equity line of credit. Lenders usually lend up to about 70% of your home's value. Many of these loans are interest-only, so the payment looks small but the balance doesn't shrink. Work out a payment that pays it off over a set time, and pay that.

401(k) loan. Not every plan offers one. If yours does, you borrow from your own account, often with a small yearly fee. Ask your plan administrator.

401(k) hardship withdrawal. "Hardship" is just the official term. If you're under 59½, the IRS usually charges a penalty for early withdrawals, but some medical costs can qualify for an exception. You may still owe tax. Ask your plan administrator whether your plan allows it. We can give you paperwork showing the cost of treatment.

Credit unions. In our experience they're often more flexible. Worth a try if you're a member or can join.

Family and personal loans. Plenty of people borrow from family. Your own bank may offer a personal loan too, so it's worth asking.

Tax

People ask whether any of this is tax deductible. Medical costs can sometimes be itemized, but there are rules, and dental work isn't always treated like medical. We can't advise on tax, but we can give you a statement of what you paid. Talk to your accountant before you pay, not after.

If nothing works right now

Two things we want you to know.

If some of your teeth really need to come out soon, and you're working toward treatment with us but can't fund it yet, talk to us. We'd rather help with the urgent part than have you wait another year.

And being declined says nothing about you as a person. People work on their credit and come back six months or a year later approved. Please don't go quiet because you feel embarrassed. Just call us.

You won't do this alone

Money and teeth are two of the hardest things to talk about, and here they come together, often after years of putting off the dentist. We'll help you with both, and a letter from a lender doesn't change how we see you.