A large number of Australian parents have probably heard that they can save on the cost of their children's dental implants by having the installation of implants done in a developing country where the cost of such dental procedures is more affordable. Not a bad idea. But what happens when time comes for the child to attend follow-up appointments with their dentist? Does he or she fly back to the developing country?

There are easier and more practical ways for a parent to save on the cost of their children's dental implants, three of which are discussed below.

Take Advantage Of The CDBS

The Child Dental Benefits Scheme is a government-sponsored initiative implemented under the Medicare system. Through this initiative, the government seeks to improve accessibility to a number of dental health services for the younger generation of Australian citizens.

The CDBS provides subsidies for dental procedures such as the installation of implants and partial dentures, X-ray services and the sealing of dental fissures among others. However, no subsidies are provided for cosmetic dental procedures such as the whitening of teeth because these procedures are deemed not to have clinical relevance.

All children above the age of two may be eligible for the CDBS. Why not take advantage of this initiative so as to get implants on the cheap?

Consider Dentistry Schools

A large number of dentistry schools and colleges will often operate dental clinics open to the public. Many times, these clinics will have a large number of recent graduates working as interns. The main objective of internship for recent graduates is to gain real-life experience with common scenarios that the graduates will handle when they begin their dental practice as opposed to getting a salary.

As such, the cost of dental procedures from the mentioned clinics is often more affordable than the cost of similar procedures from a regular dental clinic.

Take The Child On A Road Trip

The cost of having dental implants installed is seldom static. It varies from one dental health practitioner to the next and even from one town or locality to the other. This is because there are a number of external factors that contribute to the operational expenses of a dental health practitioner.

In a large number of cases, dental health practitioners who work nearer to the central business district have higher operational expenses (e.g. rent for the office premises and the cost of commuting to and from work) than their counterparts who operate from suburb areas and city outskirts.

The thought of going on a road trip should at least kick some fun into an otherwise boring dental implants procedure in the eyes of the young patient.