Questions to ask a dental clinic before paying

Ask for the full name of the person who would perform surgery and the person responsible for the prosthesis. A prosthesis forms the replacement teeth. An implant is the part placed in bone that can support it. Different professionals may be responsible for different phases.

Ask about training, professional registration, and authorization to practice. In the Dominican Republic, an exequatur authorizes someone to practice a profession. Ask about the center’s operating authorization too. A marketing biography does not replace documents. It also does not explain who would be present on the treatment day.

The clinics associated with Hexa Smile involve Dr. Miguel Asenjo in Punta Cana and Dr. Carlos José Contreras Columna in Santo Domingo. Specific patient assignments and any supervision between professionals are to be confirmed. One doctor’s experience should not be presented as the other’s. Ask which professional’s results are being discussed.

Ask which problem the treatment aims to address and what information is still needed. A CT scan provides three-dimensional images that help the doctor study bone. A photo and remote conversation do not provide exactly the same information as an examination. Ask which parts of a preliminary proposal remain conditional.

Request an explanation of alternatives. If tooth removal is proposed, ask why and what options are considered before extraction. This page cannot determine whether a tooth can be kept. That assessment belongs to the professional examining the case and reviewing the records. You can ask for the reasoning without trying to diagnose the problem yourself.

Ask which health history and medicines the doctor needs to know about. Diabetes, smoking, and other treatments belong in that conversation. An advertising phrase cannot decide individual eligibility. The clinics’ evaluation criteria and required documents are to be confirmed. Ask how missing information could affect the proposal or its timing.

What could change after arrival?

An initial proposal may need revision after the evaluation is completed. Ask which details are settled and which depend on imaging or examination. Request an explanation of what would happen if the doctor recommends waiting or advises against the procedure. A proposed appointment does not settle those possibilities.

That includes money. Booking, cancellation, and refund rules are to be confirmed. Asking how much holds a date is not enough. You need to know which service that payment represents and what happens if the plan changes for clinical reasons. Keep the response with your receipt and proposal.

Request the system name and implant brand and model. Ask whether the implant is one piece or several, and how the prosthesis would attach. These details matter for understanding treatment and later care. You do not need technical expertise to ask for a clear description.

The associated clinics describe one-piece corticobasal implants. They seek support in cortical bone, the hard outer layer of bone. This technique is designed to avoid bone grafts. Your doctor confirms whether it applies to your case at the evaluation with your test results. A graft adds or rebuilds bone. The doctor must confirm that possibility through the evaluation rather than presenting it as a rule for everyone.

If graphene is mentioned, ask where it is used. In these proposals, it is an additive in the prosthesis acrylic. It is not the implant material. Ask the quote to identify implants, the supporting framework, and replacement teeth separately. Those parts can have different roles in treatment and repair.

Ask about the professional’s results with the particular technique. A restoration count is not a full-mouth case count. A restoration can be a crown, a covering replacing the visible part of one tooth. These clinics’ own case numbers, follow-up years, and complication frequency are to be confirmed.

Habash and colleagues’ independent 2024 review says the advantages of basal implants over conventional implants remain uncertain. A document from the group promoting a system is different from an independent comparison. Ask the doctor to distinguish those sources when explaining a recommendation. Neither a testimonial nor an origin story replaces that discussion.

G-CAM has FDA 510(k) clearance for dental restorations. The clearance pathway relied on laboratory and biocompatibility testing. Biocompatibility testing studies how a material interacts with tissues. Clearance alone does not establish clinical outcomes for the complete treatment or a specific duration for a fixed full-mouth prosthesis.

Immediate loading means attaching fixed teeth the day implants are placed or within a few days. It does not mean every part of care is complete. Ask which prosthesis is delivered, what changes might be needed, and which would cost extra. Do not let one delivery date stand in for the full clinical schedule.

Gums can change after teeth are removed. Ask about adjustments and possible replacements. According to the doctors at the partner clinics, a transitional prosthesis is placed on surgery day so the mouth is not left without teeth. About 24 hours later, the clinic delivers the definitive fixed prosthesis. Healing, checkups and possible maintenance are still needed. Adjustments and possible replacements remain to be confirmed. An initial delivery cannot be promised to resolve every later need. Ask how the doctor would assess changes and what visits that could require.

Your departure date also needs evaluation. The CDC warns about combining surgery and flying. There is no single dental rule allowing next-day travel. Ask how long the doctor would recommend staying and what could change that guidance. Include your available paid time off in the planning discussion if you work in the United States.

Request price, currency, and scope. An arch is the upper or lower row of teeth. Check whether the proposal covers one or both. The clinics’ price, package contents, and possible differences between locations are to be confirmed. A number without scope cannot support a useful comparison.

Ask about imaging, extractions, sedation, medicines, checkups, and repair. Do not assume lodging or transportation is included. Financing terms, payment deadlines, and travel services are to be confirmed. A monthly payment alone does not explain the total cost. Ask your insurer or benefits administrator directly about coverage or possible FSA and HSA use before counting those funds.

The CDC recommends arranging care for complications after returning home and carrying medical records. Request a clinical contact, checkup schedule, and description of the installed system. Do not assume a local dentist has its components or experience. Follow-up with a US dentist familiar with the system is to be confirmed.

The clinics’ warranty is to be confirmed. It should distinguish component coverage, clinical work, and travel expenses. Ask about duration, exclusions, and how to request an examination. A spoken offer of help does not define who pays for a repair or another trip.

• What diagnosis and alternatives support your proposal for me?
• What still needs evaluation, and what could change after arrival?
• Who would perform each phase, and where can I verify credentials?
• Which system would you use, and how would a repair be handled?
• What independent evidence and personal clinical results can you explain?
• What would I receive first, and what later adjustments do you anticipate?
• Which checkups would I need, and who could see me at home?
• Which records and coverage terms can I review before paying?