True Cost Calculator
Before you book that flight, run the real numbers. Most patients are surprised by the answer.
Run My NumbersThe $12,000 All-on-4 quote you saw online is usually just the surgical fee. It almost never includes what you actually pay once you arrive.
Here's what gets added:
And the part nobody warns you about: if something goes wrong six months later, you're on a plane again. Or paying a Calgary dentist to fix it, which often costs more than doing it right the first time.
Enter the quote you were given abroad and a few details about the trip. We'll show you the real total in Canadian dollars, and compare it to our flat fee in Calgary.
Estimates use average round-trip flight and accommodation costs from Calgary, and assume a 10% rate of on-site upgrades. Your real number may be higher or lower. Smile Now Calgary pricing is a flat fee including surgery, sedation, temporary prosthesis, final zirconia bridge, and one year of follow-up visits.
Risk has a price too.
A meaningful share of patients who travel abroad for full-arch implants end up needing revision work within five years. We see them in our office every month. Revision surgery on a failed foreign case can run $8,000 to $25,000 because the original implants are often generic brands with no parts available in Canada. Sometimes the whole case has to be redone.
Your warranty abroad is only worth as much as your willingness to fly back. If the clinic closes, changes ownership, or simply stops answering emails, you have no recourse. No licensing board to complain to. No malpractice insurance to claim against.
That's not a scare tactic. That's a Tuesday in our office.
Most patients assume local care is always more expensive. For straightforward cases, sometimes that's true. For full-arch work, three things flip the math.
The "final bridge" is the set of teeth that bolts onto your implants and stays in your mouth for the next 15+ years. Most overseas quotes are for acrylic. Our flat fee is for zirconia. The difference shows up every time you eat, smile, and years down the road when one of them needs replacing.
| Acrylic hybrid Typical overseas quote |
Zirconia Smile Now flat fee |
|
|---|---|---|
| Material | Plastic teeth set into an acrylic base with a metal bar | Single milled block of solid ceramic |
| Expected lifespan | 3–7 years before remake or major repair | 15+ years with normal care |
| Staining | Absorbs coffee, wine, tea over time | Stain-proof. Won't yellow. |
| Chipping & breakage | Teeth can pop off. Fractures are common. | Extremely fracture resistant |
| Appearance | Teeth look uniform and flat. Can look fake. | Looks and feels close to real enamel |
| Odour & hygiene | Porous — can absorb food and develop smell | Non-porous. Much easier to keep clean. |
| Cost to replace later | $8,000–$15,000 per arch, every few years | Rarely needs replacing in your lifetime |
| Usually included in quote? | Yes, this is the default abroad | Included in our flat fee, not an upgrade |
Some overseas clinics do offer zirconia, but almost always as a paid upgrade that pushes the total 30–50% higher than the quote you were first shown. Ask yours directly, in writing, before you book anything.
Not always. There are excellent clinics abroad and bad ones in Canada. The issue is that you can't easily verify which is which from 3,000 miles away, and if it goes wrong, you have very limited recourse.
Lower labour costs, lower overhead, and high volume. Some clinics also use generic implant brands with no parts network in Canada, skip diagnostic steps a Canadian clinic wouldn't, or quote a low surgical fee and add upgrades on-site.
Most overseas All-on-4 quotes are for an acrylic "hybrid" prosthesis, not zirconia. It's not always spelled out in the quote — you have to ask. Acrylic is cheaper and easier to produce, which is why a lot of clinics in Mexico, Turkey, Colombia, and similar markets default to it.
The problem with acrylic is the lifespan. It stains, wears down, and the teeth tend to chip or pop off within 3 to 7 years. Then you're looking at a full replacement — either abroad again or paying a Canadian clinic to remake it.
Zirconia is a single milled block of ceramic. It doesn't stain, it doesn't chip easily, and it's built to last 15+ years with normal care. It looks and feels much closer to real teeth. Our flat fee includes a zirconia final bridge. That's not an upgrade, that's what you get.
Come in for a consultation. We treat revision cases without judgment. Sometimes the work is fine and just needs maintenance. Sometimes it needs redoing. Either way, you'll know.
Yes. 0% and low-interest options through Medicard and iFinance, approved in minutes. Most patients pay monthly rather than all at once.
It's a good-faith estimate using typical flight and accommodation averages from Calgary and a conservative 20% on-site upgrade assumption. Your actual numbers may differ, but the structure of the calculation is what we see in real patient cases.
Book a free consultation. We'll review any quote you've received, show you our flat-fee equivalent, and tell you honestly which makes more sense for your case. No pressure. No upsell.
Book My Free Consultation403-879-7880 • 7337 McLeod Trail SW, Unit 216, Calgary