Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are used to replace missing teeth.
The implants are typically made of titanium and are surgically implanted into the jawbone to provide a stable foundation for replacement teeth.
Dental implants can be included in major dental cover and can help you lower the costs by as much as $800.
How much do dental implants cost?
Dental implants cost between $2,000 and $7,000 in Australia but you'll find that costs vary based on what kind of treatment you require and how much your dentist charges. For example, complicated procedures involving a bone graft or sinus lift are likely to cost you more, as are all-on-4 dental implants.
Single implants
$2,000-$7,000
All-on-4 implants
$17,000-$30,000
Does Medicare cover implants?
No. Medicare largely does not cover dental work, and that includes implants. There are 2 major exceptions:
Your oral health is impacting your overall health. In this case, you would need a referral from your GP under a GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement.
You're a concession card holder. Certain concession card holders are eligible for state-based dental vouchers that may be applied toward medically-necessary dental implants.
Yes, you can get health insurance for dental implants with some extras policies. You'll often find it included under "major dental" and more specifically periodontics (the treatment of diseases around gums and teeth structure).
If your policy covers periodontics and doesn't specifically exclude implants, you may be covered. You'll have to check with your insurer to be certain, and be ready to pay some out-of-pocket expenses because your benefit almost certainly won't cover the whole amount.
Remember that even if your policy does cover dental implants, there is usually a 12-month waiting period before you can submit a claim for major dental.
Most implants are done in an outpatient setting, so in order to be covered on a policy like this, you would have to have special anesthetic needs or extensive bone grafting.
Compare private health insurance for dental implants
The table below compares policies from Finder partners that cover major dental, where dental implants are typically covered. It's sorted by value using the Finder score algorithm our experts use for the Finder health insurance awards. Prices are for a single person earning less than $93,000 living in Sydney, with a $750 excess - learn why this matters here.
The Finder Score ranks every health policy in our database on value for money. We updated this monthly with data provided by Ombudsman.
We consider the 38 hospital treatment categories, plus the covered extras categories and the total extras benefit. We also use the average price for each product. Here's the breakdown of factors we consider.
Factors that affect your health insurance premiums
There are several factors that will change the price of your health insurance premiums, whether you get hospital or extras cover. Here are the main ones to consider.
Private Health Insurance Rebate: The price of your policy can vary by over 25% due to rebate. It's mainly based on your age and income.
Lifetime Health Cover Loading: If you don't have hospital cover after age 31, a 2% loading will be added to the price each year you don't have it.
State: The cost of medical care is different in every state, and that's reflected in your premiums.
Policy Excess: A policy with a larger excess will have lower premiums, but you will have more out of pocket costs when you claim.
A dental implant is a strong, durable replacement tooth and root system that is implanted permanently into the jaw. It looks, acts and feels like a natural tooth. It consists of 3 major parts:
A titanium implant. This is a screw-like device that is drilled into the jawbone and will eventually fuse with the bone creating strong foundational support for the new tooth.
Small metal post. When the implant has healed and fused to the bone, a small metal post is inserted into the implant so that it is partially inside and partially outside of the gum line.
The artificial tooth crown. This is the actual "tooth" that is placed onto the outer part of the metal post.
The entire process requires multiple visits over the course of several months since the initial implant needs time to heal and merge with the jawbone before the crown can be placed on top.
How much does health insurance cost?
We ask hundreds of Australians what they're paying for health insurance every month. Here's what they told us in May 2024.
Basic: $110
Bronze: $143
Silver: $162
Gold: $197
Price based on 1,000+ responses for single hospital insurance.
Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts
We're free
Our health insurance engine is completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the health insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and you can compare nearly every health fund in Australia on the site (and find a better deal).
We're here to help
Since 2014, we've helped 350,000+ people find health insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.
Frequently asked questions
Dental implants are expensive because it's often a lengthy and complex procedure that requires surgery. It's often also not considered a cosmetic procedure which means Medicare won't pay a benefit towards it. The dental implants themselves are also costly because they need to be tailored to suit your requirements.
Not usually. Medicare doesn't cover most out of hospital treatments like dental implants unless they're having a serious impact on your overall health.
There are 2 main types of dental implants in Australia: a single implant and an all-on-4 implant. The former is a single tooth replacement consisting of a single root, post and crown; the latter is when 4 implants are used to replace an entire row of teeth. The implants will be spaced apart, then 10-14 artificial crowns are joined together with 4 crowns attaching to the implant and the rest attached to each other. This is sometimes called an implant-supported bridge.
Almost anyone who has one or more missing teeth is a candidate for an implant, as long as you have healthy gums and your facial structure is fully developed. A man's facial structure is usually developed by age 18, and a woman's at 16.
James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, WIN News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
We’ve got all the info on what endodontics services are, how Australian health insurance providers handle them and what policies will cover you.
Feedback
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
