ClearChoice Dental Implants Alternative

ClearChoice dental implants are often advertised as the best (or only) option for affordable implants. However, you should always research and make sure you understand all your options for such an important procedure.

So what is ClearChoice and what services do they offer? Are there any alternative practices that offer dental implants of the same or higher quality? This guide explores this issue to help you get a head start on choosing the right provider for your needs. But we also advocate doing plenty of research on your own to ensure you get what you pay for with your new dental implants.

What is a ClearChoice Dental Implant?

All ClearChoice locations offer patients an option outside of the private practice of dentistry scene. They’re a billion-dollar company that has dozens of offices in 29 states all over the U.S. Depending on where you go, their staff could include oral surgeons, cosmetic dentists, and other professionals trained in providing implants.

As a corporate franchise, ClearChoice offices work the same in terms of the methods, materials, and pricing structures that they use. For better or worse, you can bet that a ClearChoice in one state will be practically the same as in another.

For a grab-and-go dental implant procedure, ClearChoice may offer a good service for certain patients. They wouldn’t have been in business for 15 years if they didn’t. But being such a large conglomerate comes at the price of personalization – (several reviews of done patients who stated) patients feel like numbers at a deli counter when they go to ClearChoice. Additionally, not everyone’s oral health issues can be treated using the same procedure, and there’s some question among negative reviews online whether ClearChoice offices sometimes push their most profitable treatments on patients, regardless of what they actually need.

That’s not to say the service will definitely be bad. However, many patients seeking dental implant treatments are also looking for a compassionate and personalized service similar to a doctor's practice, especially if they are dealing with the embarrassment of missing teeth.. They don’t just want the most common treatment – they want the best one. Getting that is more or less the luck of the draw at a large franchise like ClearChoice, in the same way that food franchises may offer good or bad service depending on the location or even the day.

If you’re trying to decide where to get a significant medical procedure done, you’re looking for treatment advice, not salesmanship. Numerous ClearChoice locations are experienced in the art of the sale, as their track record certainly shows, but anyone preparing for this procedure should really be asking if there are any disadvantages to using the ClearChoice model for such an important treatment.

What are the Disadvantages of ClearChoice Implants?

When you visit a corporate chain, you always know what to expect, right? They exist to craft and distribute a consistent experience across different branches. The fast-food analogy is an accurate one in this case because like a dental implant chain, fast food places standardize the menu and workflow. They don’t think of you as a guest in their restaurant so much as a number to be served and forgotten about once the next number is up.

The main difference with dental implant chains is the commodity being offered (the dental arches). Their reliance on the service formula passed down from the shareholders to the board of directors to the employees is similar, and as the “customer,” you’re treated with similar disinterest.

But since a dental implant is not a Big Mac, you’ll have bigger issues if it’s not done well. In comparison, think of a private dental implant surgeon as a privately owned restaurant, to use the same analogy. They’re able to master their craft out of the watchful eye of profit-obsessed CEOs and shareholders. They can offer you a meal crafted to your tastes and expectations that will leave you more satisfied than you would-be with bland fast food. At the Florida Dental Implant Institute, our team and doctors are focus-obsessed with the results and the patient experience, just as a five-star chef obsesses over the presentation and the meal, not the next shareholder meeting.

To summarize: what many prospective patients don't realize when they start down the road of getting ClearChoice procedures is that they have a very limited menu. They sell their services with the formula of the “All-on-4” implants without always assessing what treatment plan would be best for the individual. Not everyone’s jaw is strong enough to handle All-on-4 implants, but naturally, the marketing of ClearChoice services won’t always make this distinction for you.

Do ClearChoice Reviews Indicate a Scam?

Some ClearChoice reviews claim they are a “scam,” but this is not true in the literal sense. They are a legitimate business owned by Aspen Dental, which is owned by a large private equity firm. What this means is that ClearChoice is a source of investment capital for its corporate shareholders. ClearChoice has been bought and sold several times in recent years with the goal of providing a profitable return for its private equity investors..

As this type of company, ClearChoice advertises broadly to rope in as many customers as possible with promises of free or reduced implant procedures. For those who prefer to investigate the reviews on their own, sites like the Better Business Bureau provide valuable insight. They have a page for ClearChoice complaints that can teach you about the experiences some people have had with their business approach.

The common themes in these reviews include everything we’ve been talking about: not feeling like the service is personalized, feeling disenchanted by manipulative ad deals, and receiving cookie-cutter treatments that ultimately cost far more than they’re worth.

What are the ClearChoice Alternatives?

All-on-4 dental implants are relatively new offerings in the dental implant world. They’re pretty much the most advanced oral surgery regularly performed in dental offices, so the decision of who should do it for you should not be taken lightly.

You wouldn’t ask McDonalds to cook you a filet mignon. You also shouldn’t be asking corporate dental chains to perform the filet mignon of dental implant surgeries. For that, you want an expert who offers a bespoke experience that is focused on your specific needs and equipped with a team of trained specialists to do it right for you the first time.

For such an important surgery, you don’t want to be squeezed into a corporate mold. You should be able to ask questions about your situation, learn about alternatives, and feel like you’re someone’s patient instead of their customer.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the main benefits of choosing a private dental surgeon’s practice over a chain:

• ‍Personalized care: Going to a private practice is like seeing a family doctor, versus the corporate franchise clinic experience, which is more like a minute clinic at a pharmacy. It can get the job done – for some patients, that’s all they need – but it will be more difficult to find a provider within that company machine that will treat you like a patient. By contrast, a private group practice like The Florida Dental Implant Institute is an office of like-minded professionals working together to provide multiple treatment options. In this more personal setting, the professionals can focus on being patient advocates, rather than shareholder advocates.‍

• Treatment options: Franchises do the one treatment they offer reasonably well (usually). But that single treatment option may not be ideal for you. They may push their methods onto your situation to make the sale instead of thinking about what would be best for you out of all the possible treatments. Private practices don’t have an itinerary to accomplish – they’re just there to address your needs. They can focus on you as a person and figure out which treatment or combination of treatments is best for you. And if they’re not equipped to perform these treatments, they can give you a referral, which a franchise may not always do (when was the last time a McDonald’s referred you to a Burger King?).‍

• Pricing differences: Franchises offer less flexible pricing plans because that’s their entire model – they want to treat as many patients as possible with the fixed-price treatment plan. Private practices can offer more diverse pricing options, including flexible payment plans, based on your ability to pay. Without corporate regulations stating “this treatment” costs “this much,” private practices can put the patient ahead of the profit.‍

• Customer service: We’ve stated this point already, but the difference between a franchise and a private business in terms of customer service is usually night and day. It doesn’t matter what the business is selling. It’s the difference between the service you get at McDonald’s and what you get at a great mom-and-pop place in your city. Locally owned and operated practices are better equipped to offer a personal touch.

The Takeaway for Patients

The most important thing to remember when choosing a provider for your dental implant procedure is that your needs come first. The problem with big franchises like ClearChoice is they can’t always put your needs ahead of the mandates of the corporate offices, the fixed pricing structures, or the hiring practices, even if some of their employees would like to.

Private specialty offices can personalize your treatment without asking for permission from the board of directors. They can treat you like a person instead of a number. They can offer you diverse treatment and payment options. And if they feel another provider would be a better fit for your procedure, they're far more likely to give you a referral than a corporate chain would.

In most industries, the personal touch of private service is slipping away in favor of conglomerates and copy and paste procedures. Thankfully, private practices in the field of dental implant surgeries can still offer patients the treatment they expect when it comes to high-quality one-on-one treatment plans to give you the smile you deserve.

Visit us at The Florida Dental Implant Institute for a no-pressure consultation concerning your oral health situation. Our certified professionals are equipped to make a treatment plan tailored to your health needs and your financial means. Leave the quick service for the burgers.