How much does it cost to cure caries today and what factors influence the price

Next you will find out:

• What influences the cost of caries treatment in the first place;
• What is the relationship between the final price and the degree of neglect of the carious process;
• Dependence of the cost of treatment on the applied methods and technologies;
• How many seals of different types cost today (cement, chemical composite and so-called “light”);
• As a dentist who is not honest enough, can pull out additional money from the patient;
• What nuances are important to consider when treating caries in children, especially when it comes to the use of anesthesia or sedation;
• 5 simple techniques with which you can significantly save on the treatment of caries ...

Practice shows that a considerable part of the population today is literally frightened by the myths about the high cost of caries treatment, and in many cases for this reason, the campaign to the dentist is unreasonably long delayed.Suddenly, the price will be too high - for example, 10 times higher than originally planned?

And indeed, why is it so happened that some people can supply a seal for only 500-1000 rubles, while others have to pay for the same, it would seem, service of 4-7 thousand rubles and even more?

In fact, the price of dental therapy is taking into account many factors, given which you can save a lot by getting a quality service with maximum benefit. About this we will continue to talk more ...

On a note

Caries is a local process of destruction of hard tooth tissues, which begins with focal demineralization and ends with the formation of a carious cavity. If untreated, it turns into other diseases (caries complications) - pulpitis and (or) periodontitis.

 

Is there a relationship between the cost of treatment and the neglect of the carious process?

To understand the pricing policy in most dental institutions, it is useful to imagine how dentists classify caries, since it is its stages, that is, the degree of neglect of the carious process, in 70-80% of price lists taken as the basis for determining the final cost.

So, for ease of recording the work of dentists, the following classification of carious processes according to the depth of damage to the tooth was proposed:

• Initial caries (focal demineralization);
• Superficial caries;
• Average;
• Deep.

In the price lists most often only the last three types are indicated, and in practice work is carried out with only two: medium and deep caries. The fact is that in most cases, people turn to dentistry even when the carious cavity becomes noticeable to the naked eye, or even painful sensations appear (short-term pain from a sweet, cold).

Below in the photo is an example of deep caries in the cervical area of ​​the chewing tooth:

Therefore, in 90-95% of all appeals, the first two points of the classification do not even appear in the work of the doctor, but still need to be mentioned.

Now let's see why the degree of neglect of the carious process so strongly affects the cost of treatment:

1. The deeper the tooth is destroyed, the more time-consuming and difficult the professional treatment to be. It is easy to understand that with an average caries, the carious cavity has a shallow depth and allows the doctor to quickly and efficiently cope with the task,carrying less risk and complexity in relation to the proximity of the pulp ("nerve") during operation of the drill. On the contrary, with deep caries, the dentist deals with a decent “hole” in shape and depth, which doesn’t matter of millimeters and sometimes even a fraction of a millimeter reach the pulp chamber! It takes a lot of effort and skill from a doctor to cope with a difficult task: to process the carious cavity as best as possible, removing all infected areas, but not opening the pulp chamber and preventing overheating of the neurovascular bundle in it (otherwise, later, after installing the seal, pulpitis will develop). Therefore, one of the reasons for the difference in price between the treatment of medium and deep caries is a special preparation (technology) before applying the seal. On average, the difference is from 300 to 1000 rubles;
2. In addition, the more severe the carious process is launched, there, as a rule, more tooth surfaces are involved in it. And with each surface the doctor needs to work, including its restoration.

It is interesting

Some dentists, in order not to lose clients, ignore the dependence of the cost of treatment on the number of tooth surfaces affected by caries.

So, in groups of chewing teeth, the front and far “walls” are almost always affected, in addition to the chewing surface, which it is easy for the doctor to combine in the treatment and put one monolithic and load-resistant filling, rather than “sculpt” for the sake of increasing the price according to price 2-3 and more fillings for one tooth.

The situation with the front teeth is a bit more complicated, with respect to which the demands on the color and shape of the restored tooth are increased.

In this case, the doctor has to explain to the patient before treatment that the work will be done on the lateral surfaces of the tooth, which significantly complicates and lengthens it in time. Not to mention the consumption of material and additional funds that are important in the work. Since in the price list the treatment of an additional carious wall is often indicated with a significantly reduced price, problems usually do not arise.

 

Dependence of the cost of treatment on the applied methods and technologies

As for the initial and surface caries, they are not often encountered in most clinics. And it would seem that the price for the treatment of such defects should be significantly lower than for the treatment of medium and deep caries.However, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

For example, the treatment of caries in the white spot stage (the initial stage of enamel demineralization) with the help of modern ICON technology costs on average from 2,000 to 6,000 rubles. It may seem a little expensive, but here the patient pays for the opportunity to get rid of caries stains on the teeth, as well as stains of a different etiology without the drill and injections of anesthesia (which is simply not needed).

An example of the treatment of caries in the stage of white spots using ICON technology:

On a note

A not very expensive alternative to ICON technology is the conservative treatment of initial caries with the help of applications of remineralizing solutions, deep fluoridation, as well as electrophoresis of calcium, phosphorus and fluorine ions. The meaning of these procedures is that a preparation is applied to the carious stain, which saturates the surface of the enamel with elements that are lost as a result of the activity of carious bacteria. Such treatment is carried out without anesthesia, without a drill, almost always requires several procedures. The process of restoring demineralized enamel often takes several weeks, and the degree of achievement of a positive result depends on the clinical case and the professionalism of the doctor.

The main method of caries treatment at present remains the preparation of a tooth with a drill with the subsequent installation of a filling. And here modern technologies can contribute to the cost of the procedure: dental units are improving every year, comfort is increasing during the procedure - patients have to pay for this too.

It should be noted that the high quality of the dental unit not only determines the patient’s comfort during the treatment of caries and its complications, but also creates favorable conditions for the doctor’s work. Low cost (usually Chinese) devices often create a lot of difficulties for the dentist during the reception: the equipment is difficult to adjust, pressure drops in the system are possible, breakdowns are frequent - all this can directly affect the quality of treatment.

Drill tips have the greatest influence on the result of work. Expensive tips allow not only to work almost silently, but also create ideal conditions during tooth brushing from caries: without vibration and with abundant water supply. Cheap devices (especially in the range of 1-3 thousand.rubles) not only frighten patients with strong noise, but also often create serious risks during tooth preparation, associated with pulp damage (primarily from excessive heat).

On a note

In the worst case scenario, when a cheap dental unit is used by a doctor, the scenario is usually the following: a person comes to the clinic to cure a normal average or deep caries, and as a result of this treatment, the filled tooth begins to hurt unbearably in the coming days. The price of the question is the need for re-treatment, only in this case you will have to remove the “nerve”, clean the canals and only then put a seal. And all this, of course, is much more expensive than just curing caries.

It is also worth saying a few words about the so-called laser dentistry.

The use of a laser for tooth preparation is an excellent alternative for those who do not tolerate the sound of a drill and are ready to try something special and expensive (although now some clinics may offer discounts and promotions for such services at the price of a traditional method).

However, with all the comfort and painlessness of the procedure, it is not always possible to completely eliminate the use of a drill. That is, it may happen that the client is lured to treat caries with a laser, and the person eventually receives a combined treatment, but its cost is significantly higher compared to the traditional option.

 

How much is the seal now?

The price of consumables is one of the most burning questions not only for the doctor, but also for the patient. The fact is that in the price lists of clinics one can often see not only the cost of a specific service, but also the dependence of this cost on the material used: from cements (already, it is extremely rare) and chemical composites to popular light-cured composites.

For example, in a price list it might look like this:

• cement filling - 200 rubles (1 month warranty);
• chemical composite filling - 500 rubles (3 months warranty);
• Light seal “Charisma Glum” - 800 rubles;
• Filtek Z-250 - 1200 rubles;
• GRADIA DIRECT - 2200 rubles.

Etc. The arithmetic here is simple: the higher the purchase price of the material, the more expensive the seal will be.

It is interesting

For example, the purchase price of 1 Charisma Glum syringe is about 1000 rubles (approximately 15-25 seals), and Filtek - about 2000 rubles per syringe (approximately the same consumption). Gradiya costs about 3 thousand rubles.

Cements today are "penny" compared with modern filling materials.

Chemical composites can be purchased for 2-3 thousand rubles, but with one such package you can cure about 100 carious lesions: a noticeable savings for the doctor! However, such materials can not be put on certain groups of teeth (for example, on the front with the destruction of the angle of the crown and the cutting edge), as well as with a large loss of the tooth walls.

Material consumption is of great importance, so the clinics have foreseen in the pricing the depth of carious lesions and the number of surfaces damaged by caries. In addition, additional categories of services are charged.

For example, prices for gaskets under the seal — special materials that protect the pulp from the harmful effects of the composite and have healing and antibacterial effects — can also be indicated in the price list. There are gaskets from the "usual" phosphate-cement (cheap), there is from the glass ionomer cement chemical curing, as well as the "light" - all purchase prices are different.

On a note

On the websites of dentists, it is often possible to meet a phrase with a trick, something like this: “Treatment of average caries - from 800 rubles.”In fact, the patient with almost 100% probability will pay one and a half, or even two times more than the specified amount, since the maximum that is included in these 800 rubles is the treatment of 1 surface, the absence of anesthesia and the cheapest material (sometimes even cement ). And only at the reception the doctor will recommend additional “options” and announce their cost.

Fortunately, there are also clinics that honestly initially specify when pricing, which, among other things, will take into account the number of surfaces treated with caries. Most often, the principle is as follows: each additional treated tooth wall will cost half the basic price for caries treatment.

Do not forget that, in addition to the filling, the price of caries treatment is also formed by anesthesia - one of the favorite income items of many clinics.

Estimated cost of anesthetics:

1. Septanest (France) - 250 rubles (10 pcs.);
2. Uibeszin (Germany) - 350-400 rubles (10 pcs.);
3. Artikain, 1: 100 000 (Brazil) - 150-200 rubles (10 pcs.)

At the same time, the cost of 1 injection of anesthesia for a patient will cost an average of 300-500 rubles.

Opinion of the practicing dentist

Some dental owners buy Brazilian Artikain for 150 rubles (10 pcs.),but in that case I would think about the possible risks and safety of the drug.

 

1001 ways to deceive a patient by a dentist in the treatment of caries

Can a dentist (if desired) turn the treatment of ordinary caries into the most expensive medical procedure? Although to date, fewer clinics have resorted to such methods in order to keep clients and make them permanent and grateful, but it is useful for patients to know about some of the techniques.

Of the official types of “fraud”, we can mention the vagueness of the formulation of the final cost of the service for the treatment of a tooth. Often, the administrator can hear that this procedure will cost from so many rubles, or, alternatively, is "in range." And then it is surprising to the patient that it is quite a shame to listen to how the dentist begins to count everything thoroughly, charging each trifle from the list of actions taken. For example:

• Polishing fillings - 200 rubles;
• Coating with a special varnish for protection - 300 rubles;
• The use of abrasive strips for polishing the wall of the tooth - 100 rubles;
• The use of wedges - 100 rubles for one wedge.

Etc.These "little things" are added to the cost of basic components: anesthesia, fillings - taking into account the number of treated surfaces and with an emphasis on the depth of the lesion.

On a note

The most important thing: the doctor, sitting down in a chair, before the treatment should state in an accessible and understandable form what the total cost of the procedure will be (plus or minus 300-500 rubles). If this does not happen, then you should directly ask the doctor about it, otherwise the dentist will have too “a lot of room for creativity”, and then the bill submitted for payment may be unpleasantly surprising.

In addition, as a rule, it is difficult for the patient to understand for himself whether there really is a caries on the tooth. And it is also difficult to assess: what does the dentist see in the dental mirror (even if the doctor gives a mirror and offers to look at it yourself). Sometimes a doctor may “erroneously” (read - intentionally) calculate pigmentation on a tooth for caries, or intentionally find 3-5 carious teeth in the mouth, although outwardly they will not seem sick to a person himself - this cannot but alert.

Statistics

Investigations were conducted on this occasion of journalists who sat in the dentist’s chair for examination in 10 clinics of one metropolis (budget and private) to identify problem teeth.The maximum number of carious teeth was found in expensive private dentistry, and in public ones (hospitals, clinics), on the contrary, they ignored the actually existing carious areas on the teeth.

So in this matter, sometimes you have to look for a middle ground!

Be that as it may, if the doctor suddenly offers the treatment of those teeth that seem to you quite healthy, it makes sense to consult at least one more clinic to clarify the situation. (Fortunately, today such advice can be obtained free of charge or at the lowest price).

 

Treatment of caries in children and its cost

Parents of babies today are well aware that healthy beautiful teeth are not only a guarantee of a comfortable and fulfilling life, but also a contribution to the child’s social and economic future. To protect the baby from undesirable consequences, parents are ready to pay serious money for the prevention and treatment of dental caries in the early stages.

However, many do not take into account that the best way to keep a child healthy is to start taking care of them with the first tooth cut.It is home hygiene measures, not a dentist, that are the basis of a beautiful smile.

But, of course, home procedures do not always help 100% due to different nuances (parents' laziness, lack of time and knowledge), and in the meantime a carious stain forms on the baby’s teeth. Taking into account the age of the child, the specific clinical situation and the parents' wallet, it is possible to choose different types of treatment: remineralization and fluoridation, sealing of fissures with preliminary grinding off of the enamel, ICON method, treatment with a drill with subsequent filling, laser treatment, etc.

In budgetary hospitals and clinics, where the conveyor for the admission of young patients works, the service most often is free and does not meet the quality criteria: cheap fillings, caries not completely cut out until the end, fall out almost on the second day. This happens even after visiting small private dentists - both due to the doctor’s fault and as a result of the child’s inability to adequately relate to what is happening in the office (panic fear of a white robe - the baby cries, screams, bites).

Therefore, the doctor may suggest treatment with general anesthesia (under anesthesia) or under sedation (the child remains conscious, but remains in a relaxed state). All this greatly increases the cost of the procedure, but sometimes is the only possible treatment of the teeth in the baby.

On a note

For example, anesthesia with xenon lasting 1 hour can cost an average of about 25,000 rubles. And deep sedation with the use of medazolam - at 8000-10000 rubles (also for 1 hour).

In addition, the so-called colored fillings appeared in the arsenal of doctors, to which a number of clinics make an extra markup, although this is ordinary material, convenient for treating caries only because children can then boast to friends with fillings of different color schemes. The desire to get such a beautiful filling can help a child to overcome his fear of the procedure.

In children's dentistry, especially for the treatment of permanent teeth, light-cured composites have proven themselves to be aesthetic and reliable material, which is guaranteed (with its far from the budget price).

It is interesting

The “light” fillings are located in a plastic syringe that has a lid on one side, and on the other side a special threaded piston.The material in such syringes can be either in a paste-like or fluid form. When the piston rotates clockwise, the material is gently squeezed out, and the dentist can use the special tool (trowel) to take the necessary portion for each layer of the future filling and insert it alternately into the prepared cavity in the tooth. Flowable composites come in handy in special cases - in particular, to recreate the tooth wall as closely as possible next to the gap as accurately as possible.

 

In search of quality dental services for less money

Residents of megacities can hardly be surprised by the fact that every year groups of volunteers form groups for dental tours (most often from Moscow, St. Petersburg, less often from Yekaterinburg and other cities). And often these tours have a cultural and entertainment program, successfully combined with a visit to the dentist and caries treatment is much cheaper than in the metropolis.

For example, the average cost of dental implantation in Moscow is such that the same procedure, carried out, for example, in Murom, Novgorod or Cherepovets, can cost several tens of thousands of rubles cheaper.Savings can be achieved on other dental services, including the treatment of caries.

Today, Ryazan and Tver are gaining popularity as residents of Moscow and the region as such tourist destinations. Such tours are carried out by companies licensed to organize such events. Signed agreements with the best dental clinics in a small town allow the clinics to have a constant flow of patients, and the company organizing the tours can profit from paying for travel and advertising of dentists.

So, the prices in Moscow and Ryazan dentistry were analyzed (about 60 clinics in total), and the range of the cost of caries treatment for one tooth was determined:

• In Moscow, from 1,500 to 13,000 rubles;
• In Ryazan - from 800 to 4000 rubles.

And in Ryazan, several clinics can treat dental caries using ICON technology for about 2000-2500 rubles, and in Moscow the cost of this procedure is close to 5-8 thousand, although the choice of clinics there is much more (many dozens).

On a note

It should be borne in mind that excessive cheapness, both in Moscow and in any other city, may be fraught with its own pitfalls.The clinic can save on equipment, materials, processing tools, salaries of doctors, administrators, etc. The combination of several similar factors can lead to patient discontent and the need for retreatment for serious money elsewhere.

 

5 ways to save on caries treatment

Compliance with the following simple recommendations will allow in the long run to save a lot of money, which otherwise could be used to treat caries and its complications:

1. Let's start with the simplest and most obvious point - regularly carry out oral hygiene (use a toothbrush, toothpaste, and an irrigator to clean the interdental spaces, or dental floss). Practice shows that the seeming simplicity is deceptive here: in Russia, only about 3% of the population regularly use dental floss (and even less people use irrigators). In this case, caries very often begins in the cervical area on the side wall of the tooth - that is, in the interdental space;
2. To produce professional oral hygiene at the dentist 1-2 times a year. Dentists recommend regularly removing dental deposits (stone and plaque), and the rate of formation of such deposits is individual for each person;
3. It is extremely important not to delay treatment in the initial stages of carious lesions. Paradox, but in order to save money on dental treatment, they need to be treated as quickly as possible when a carious lesion appears. If the tooth is “launched” and does not pay attention either to the symptoms (pain from sweet, cold, hot), nor to the growing width and depth of the carious cavity, then the further fate of the tooth will depend on the nature of the development of caries complications - pulpitis or periodontitis. It is possible that we will have to go beyond the scope of therapeutic dentistry and get acquainted with prosthetics, the prices for which are an order of magnitude higher (especially if we are talking about prosthetics on implants);
4. It does not hurt also to glance at promotions and discounts, which today are often found in almost all clinics;
5. Do not try to get to the clinic, where they certainly serve coffee, and televisions are in the waiting room, and in the office itself. First of all, you need to focus on finding a good doctor, not an elite clinic. (You can search for a good dentist according to reviews and recommendations of friends and acquaintances). There are quite a few doctors who are high-level professionals,which are treated very qualitatively, inexpensively and at the same time will never allow themselves to extract extra money from the patient from mercenary motives.

Take care of your teeth and be healthy!

 

If you have personal experience in caries treatment, be sure to leave your review at the bottom of this page. Is the procedure expensive and how satisfied you are with the quality of the treatment.

 

But the dentist's view on the formation of prices in the treatment of teeth

 

Useful video: how much the seal lives