Financing Dental Implants: CareCredit, Lending Club, and In-House Plans Compared
A plain-English breakdown of the financing options most patients don't know exist — what each one actually costs you, what to ask for, and how to choose.
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We're often asked about cost in the same breath as candidacy. That's understandable — implants represent a real investment, and most patients are doing the financial math in their head while we're still talking about clinical options.
Here's the conversation we'd rather have up front: there are three honest paths to making this work, and the right one depends on your credit, your timeline, and how you feel about taking on a new credit account.
CareCredit and other medical credit cards#
CareCredit is the one most patients have heard of. It's a credit card specifically for healthcare expenses, and used carefully it can be the right answer — particularly if you can finish payments within the promotional 0% APR window (usually 6, 12, or 24 months).
What patients sometimes miss: if you don't pay the full balance by the end of the promo window, deferred interest is applied retroactively from day one. That can turn a "0% APR" plan into a 26%+ effective rate overnight.
We'll help you map out a payment schedule that finishes inside the window. If we don't think you can, we'll say so.
Lending Club, Prosper, and unsecured medical loans#
Third-party medical loans typically have lower true APRs than CareCredit's deferred-interest model, especially for patients with strong credit. Terms run 24–84 months, and there's no deferred-interest trap — you pay the rate you're quoted.
The trade-off: you commit to the full term up front, and prepayment penalties are sometimes part of the fine print. Always ask.
Our in-house plans#
For patients who'd rather not add another credit account, we offer an in-house payment plan on most full-arch cases. There's no third-party lender, no credit pull, no deferred interest. We agree on a schedule that works for both of us, and we send you a normal monthly statement.
This isn't always the right option — patients with cash on hand often save more by paying upfront, and patients who'd prefer a long term may get a better rate from a third-party loan. But it's worth knowing it exists.
