Prices for a dental implant in Taiwan can range from NT$40,000 to NT$150,000, which is expensive in relation to the nation’s per capita income, so people should carefully compare prices and quality before deciding where to get an implant, the Consumers’ Foundation said on Tuesday.
The highest price for a dental implant is 3.8 times the lowest price, the foundation said, citing its Ministry of Health and Welfare-approved survey, which was conducted in eight cities and counties.
Compared with the 2013 per capita income of Japan and the US, people in those countries earn about 2.5 times and about 1.7 times what people in Taiwan make, the foundation said, adding that the cost for a Taiwanese to get a mouthful of dental implants is equivalent to the price of an imported luxury car.
A Taiwanese earning minimum hourly wages would have to work between 334 and 1,250 hours for a single tooth implant, while a person in Japan would only have to work between 213 and 284 hours and someone in the US between 77 and 359 hours, it said.
There are also a number of different costs associated with tooth implantation that are confusing, including a tooth implantation evaluation fee, a tooth implantation surgery fee, artificial tooth root, prosthetic crowns and periodontal prostheses, the foundation said.
The financial strain of getting a dental implant, which is becoming a fairly common treatment, for Taiwanese is relatively high, it said, adding that the government should take the matter seriously and create an accreditation mechanism for the evaluation of dental treatment, as well as re-evaluate items that are charged for dental implants.
Foundation vice chairman Yu Kai-hsiung (游開雄) urged people to discuss with their dentist the necessity of any tooth implant, carefully read surgical consent forms and ask the hospital or clinic to provide a receipt with payment details.
“As tooth implantation is an invasive surgery, it is best that people communicate with their dentist thoroughly in advance about the necessity of the surgery, a detailed list of expenses and signing consent forms for anesthesia and surgery” to avoid medical disputes, he said.
The foundation suggested that people compare prices and quality before deciding where to get an implant.
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