Cost is the #1 reason patients delay dental implant treatment. It's also, in our experience, the most solvable problem in implant dentistry. Between transparent pricing, third-party financing, insurance, and pre-tax dollars, most patients who assumed implants were out of reach end up with a monthly payment they can plan around. Here's how it actually works, in plain language.
Step 1: Start with a real price, not a "starting at" price
You can't plan around a number you don't have. Most clinics quote case-by-case, which means the real total only appears after the consultation, and often grows from there. Apex publishes fixed pricing instead: $1,999 all-inclusive for a single-tooth implant (implant, custom abutment, porcelain crown, and the free 3D CT scan) and $12,500 per arch for All-on-4, everything included. Our implant cost overview and All-on-4 cost page break down exactly what those numbers cover. Everything below is about how to pay a known number, which is a much easier problem.
Step 2: Monthly financing, Cherry, CareCredit, and Sunbit
Three third-party financing options cover most Apex patients. All three are applied for in minutes, and we help you compare them at your consultation:
- CareCredit, the most established healthcare credit card. Promotional periods (often 6 to 24 months) can mean no interest if the balance is paid within the promo window, with longer fixed-payment plans available for larger treatment amounts.
- Sunbit, built for point-of-care approval. The application uses a soft credit check (so applying doesn't ding your score), approval rates are high, and terms are shown up front before you commit.
- Cherry, a payment-plan platform with a quick soft-check application and a range of term lengths, popular with patients who want a simple fixed monthly payment.
In practice, single-tooth implant payments start around $69/month and All-on-4 around $199/month per arch, subject to credit approval and the term you choose. The right pick depends on your credit profile and how fast you want the balance gone, which is exactly what we walk through on our implant financing page.
Step 3: Get what your dental insurance actually owes you
"Insurance doesn't cover implants" is only half true. Many PPO plans cover portions of the work around the implant, the exam, extractions, imaging, and sometimes part of the crown or prosthetic, even when the implant fixture itself isn't covered. Annual maximums (commonly $1,000 to $2,000) mean insurance rarely covers everything, but it routinely takes a real bite out of the total. The catch is that benefits language is dense and plans differ wildly, so we run your specific benefits live at the free consultation and show you the exact out-of-pocket number before you commit to anything. More detail on how that works: implants and insurance, explained.
Step 4: Use pre-tax dollars (HSA/FSA)
Dental implants are a qualified medical expense for Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts. Paying with pre-tax dollars is effectively a discount equal to your tax rate, often 20 to 30%. Two planning notes: FSA funds usually expire at year-end (so a December consultation with a January procedure can straddle two plan years' worth of funds), and HSA funds roll over indefinitely, which makes them ideal for a planned procedure. If your employer offers either, this is the cheapest money you'll ever put toward treatment.
Step 5: Stack them
Most patients don't pick one strategy, they combine them. A typical pattern: insurance covers a portion of the exam, extractions, and prosthetic; HSA/FSA dollars cover part of the remainder pre-tax; and financing spreads what's left into a monthly payment. The order matters less than knowing your real total first, which is why every plan at Apex starts with the free consultation and 3D CT scan and ends with a written quote.
What to do next
Book a free consultation. You'll get the 3D CT scan, a treatment plan, your insurance benefits run live, and a written quote with the exact price, then we can compare Cherry, CareCredit, and Sunbit terms against your budget on the spot. Call (916) 886-1806 or book online. Implants are designed to last for decades, and the payment plan only has to last a few years.
