It is true: treatment in Tirana costs less than in many Italian and Western European cities, for simple economic reasons such as the cost of rent, staff and taxes. But if you came here looking for how much an implant costs in Albania you will find a different answer from the one you expect: we do not know until we have examined you. And anyone who gives you a figure before doing so is doing marketing, not medicine. In this article we explain why we chose not to publish prices, what lies behind online price lists and how the cost of a treatment really works in our clinics.
What lies behind a price starting from a certain figure?
An online price list always shows the simplest case: plenty of bone, healthy gums, no extractions, no preliminary treatments. In reality a good share of patients need a bone graft, a sinus lift, an extraction or gum treatment before the implant. Each of these items changes the plan and the cost. The price starting from a certain figure is there to make you contact the clinic; the real price you discover in the chair, once you have already bought the flight and booked the hotel, and at that point saying no is very hard.
What lies behind a saving percentage?
A saving percentage only makes sense when comparing two identical treatment plans, drawn up by two doctors who examined the same patient. Without an examination there is no treatment plan, so there is no comparison. Published percentages compare price lists, not patients, and are chosen to impress, not to inform. The saving compared with Italy exists and is substantial for treatments of medium and high complexity, but you can only measure it with two real quotes on the table.
Why is a quote by email not a quote?
Because whoever writes it has not seen your mouth. A photo and a panoramic radiograph allow an experienced doctor to form an idea and indicate the possible solutions, and that is exactly what we do in the free video call consultation. But the amount of bone, the health of the gums, the position of nerves and sinuses can only be seen with a CT scan and an examination. This is why during the consultation our doctor explains the solutions and their indicative costs, and the final treatment plan with the written cost is delivered after the examination at the clinic, before any treatment begins. From that moment the cost does not change, unless you yourself decide to change the plan.
How does it work in our Tirana clinics?
The journey has four steps. First, the free consultation with a dental doctor, surgeon and implantologist who speaks Italian and English, online by video call or at the clinic. Second, the clinical assessment of radiographs, photos and general situation, completed on your arrival with the cone beam CT scan and the intraoral scan. Third, the treatment plan and the cost, in writing and item by item, delivered by the doctor together with the warranty. Fourth, no change to the cost during the treatment. It is a slower method than a price list, but it is the only honest one.
Why a doctor and not a salesperson?
Many dental tourism agencies entrust the first contact to commercial operators working on commission. Their goal is to get you to book, and a low price published online is the most effective tool to do so. Our doctor has no commission: their goal is to give you the right treatment, which is sometimes simpler and cheaper than what you had in mind, sometimes more complex. In both cases you will know before you leave, and you will be the one to decide calmly.
How do you seriously compare two proposals?
Check that both were drawn up by a doctor after seeing your radiographs. Check that they list every item: extractions, grafts, provisionals, final prosthesis, checkups. Ask for the implant brand, the type of zirconia and the written warranty. Ask who will answer you after you return home. Add to the cost of the treatment in Tirana the travel and stay expenses, which we indicate in advance. Only then is the comparison real.
Isn't not publishing prices a way of hiding them?
It is the opposite. Hiding prices means giving a low figure and then adding items in the chair. We give the complete cost, in writing, before starting, and we keep to it. Transparency is not the number published on a web page, but the document you sign with the doctor and the warranty that comes with it. Anyone who tells you otherwise has an interest in getting you to book before examining you.
What happens after the consultation?
You receive the treatment plan with the recommended solutions and the alternatives, the timing, the number of trips and the cost. You can compare it with the quote you have at home, show it to your trusted dentist and decide without any pressure. If you decide to go ahead, our team organises dates, hotel and transfers with you and accompanies you from the airport until you are back home. If you do not go ahead, the consultation remains free and nothing will be asked of you.
Why are the indicative prices given at the consultation different from a price list?
Because they are given by a doctor who has seen your radiographs and photos, for the solutions judged suitable for your case, and with a clear indication of what might change after the CT scan. A price list is a figure that is the same for everyone; an indication at the consultation is a reasoned estimate about you, with its margins of uncertainty stated. The difference is the same as between a label in a shop and a medical examination.
What should you do with quotes received from other clinics?
Bring them to the consultation. Our doctor is happy to read them, explains what they include and what is missing, and helps you compare them with the treatment plan you will receive from us. We have no interest in discrediting anyone: a serious quote, made after an examination and with the materials stated, is a good starting point for an honest comparison, wherever it was drawn up.
Where do you start?
With the free consultation with our doctor. Send us a recent panoramic radiograph and a few photos of your mouth on WhatsApp or through the website form, and we schedule the video call. A doctor will talk to you, not a salesperson, and at the end you will have a clear idea of what your mouth needs and what it really costs.
