Why it Costs to Visit a Dentist?
There is no doubt that getting dental work done by a reputable dentist in Ontario, Canada is expensive. However, there are good reasons why it should cost a bit to get quality dental work. Before answering the question, Is my Dentist too expensive? First consider the following…
Education
To become a dentist in Canada, collage tuition alone for the four years of study is on average $180,000. Did you know? Dental Schools in Canada are about 50% more expensive than medical schools. “A dentistry degree is the most expensive degree in Canadian universities because of the high mandatory costs of the instruments and supplies that students must purchase in order to train.” – According to Master Student.
After dental collage, a dentist may choose to specialize in a specific field of dentistry which can add an additional 1-3 years of study depending on the school and the field of study. Factoring in the time required, rooming, and tuition, a new dentist can easily be in debt $500K+ dollars before they even think about the costs of opening a clinic.
Cost of Opening and Running a Clinic
According to the Canadian Dental Association article “Economic Realities of Practice” the average cost of opening a new dental clinic is $600,000. (That doesn’t include buying a building). More significant than just opening is the ongoing necessary things needed to run a clinic on a daily basis. Dental laboratory fees, insurance, license renewals and ongoing training take a significant chunk of a practice’s annual revenue. (Lab fee’s alone take approximately 10% of a clinics annual revenue). Taking into account support staff and hygienist wages, lease payments, cost of dental equipment and furniture, it’s not hard to spend $350K – $400K on operating costs each year.
No Government Support
When you realise the high costs of running a dental clinic and consider that they get no government support like medical doctors do, it puts it in to perspective what dentist must risk just to practice. Considering the amount of competition out there, it would be nice if the government treated dental care the same way it treats medical care. This may be one reason why some Canadians feel that dental care is too expensive, our medical care feels like it costs us nothing.
The Scary Alternative
Getting back to the original question, Is my Dentist too expensive? After reading some of the horror stories told by dental tourists, I’ve decided I am very thankful that Dr. Mathews of Erbsville Dental is my dentist, and you often get what you pay for. Consider the incredible story of Glen and Leslie and their Mexican Dental Nightmare! Even some famous people have risked their health for cheep dental work abroad. Consider also the story of Katie Price who had a bad allergic reaction after getting cosmetic dentistry in Turkey. Watch the video The Tooth Hurts.
Some of the horror stories I’ve read help put dental costs into perspective for me. Things cost more in Canada because (and thankfully) we have some of the world’s highest standards for safe dental care. In addition, we also have some of the best trained dentists in the world. When I go to Erbsville Dental in Waterloo (my local clinic) I don’t have to worry about infection, shoddy workmanship, getting the wrong medication, or even discomfort of any kind. The high level of professionalism and consistent quality of dental care makes it a valuable service and one worth paying for.
So, is my Dentist too expensive? A resounding No.
