Washington DC quotes tend to look tidy and self-explanatory. They often are not. Here is how to read one properly before you agree to anything.
What the headline number usually covers
Most DC-area practices quote implant treatment in the $3,000 to $6,000 range per tooth, and in the majority of cases that figure covers the implant post, the abutment and the crown together.
But not always. The fastest way to find out is to ask a single question: does this price include the crown? If the answer is anything other than a plain yes, you are looking at a partial quote.
What is almost never included
Extractions, bone grafting, sinus lifts, temporary teeth worn during healing, and the CBCT scan needed to plan properly. Each is a legitimate charge, and each can move your total by thousands.
Ask specifically what happens if the site needs grafting once surgery begins. The answer should be a number, agreed in advance, not a conversation you have while sedated.
The full-arch question
If you are being quoted for a full arch, ask what the final prosthesis is made from. An acrylic bridge and a zirconia one are different products with different lifespans, and some practices quote the first while showing you photographs of the second.
Why DC patients often look abroad
There are direct flights from Washington to Bogota, and on larger cases the cost gap is wide enough that travel becomes a rounding error. Plenty of our patients arrive having already been quoted locally, wanting a documented second opinion rather than a bargain.
You are allowed to take a quote away, read it, and come back. Any practice that discourages that is telling you something useful.
Questions about your own case? Send us your photos and we will walk you through the options.
