WATCH: How to pay off important dental treatment over time

• Most people say cost is the biggest factor blocking them from accessing crucial dental work
• Financing can range from $2,000 to $100,000
• The cheapest time to treat dental disease is right now

Michael Webster is not a banker, but he has a solution to the biggest barrier people face in getting the vital dental treatment they need: cost.

Dr. Webster, the general dentist and owner of Kelowna Dental Centre, is offering financing to cover the expenses for dentistry to those who otherwise might find themselves ignoring or further delaying crucial care.

“Absolutely the biggest barrier to people getting the help they need is to the cost of dental treatment,” Webster told Kelowna10, noting he offers plans that range from $2,000, to as much as $100,000.

“We have a term in dentistry called ’full mouth rebuild’, so that’s basically when every tooth in the mouth needs to be replaced – through implants or crowns. These are the big-ticket items that require a significant amount of cost,” he explained. The price tag for a full mouth rebuild starts at around $40,000.

He added he finds it ‘incredible’ the number of patients who visit him and have clearly left their dental needs unattended for too long. He said that’s why the option to finance is so appealing.

“I’m very surprised treatment financing hasn’t been available to date. Dental disease is progressive; the longer the wait to treat, the more harm there is in the mouth and the higher the associated costs with treating that condition.”

Kelowna Dental Centre has partnered with a dental specific finance company, and Webster said his clinic is the first to use the services.

“It has been just an incredibly rewarding process for our patients,” he said. “We’ve never been thanked so much for the treatment we’re providing because we are making it obtainable for patients.”

Webster said typically, the average down payment for extensive treatment is 40 per cent, so the actual financing is on the remaining 60 per cent of the bill.

“We do variable terms. Our goal is to achieve a monthly payment that our patients are comfortable with so they can obtain the dental treatment that they need.”

For Webster, the offer of financing for important dental treatment has opened the door for many people.

“Ninety per cent of dental conditions are asymptomatic; we don’t feel it until it’s too late,” he explained. “The mouth is the gateway to the body. … It really is the guardian of our health.”

So, is it worth borrowing money to attend to those dental needs?

“The cheapest time to treat dental disease is now. It progresses every single day and becomes more and more unaffordable.”

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