Shaun Quit Smoking, Repaired Credit to Afford Dental Implants

Last updated on December 31st, 2024 at 05:43 pm

Shaun openly and gracefully shared his story on YouTube. Among other things, he doesn’t claim to be rich. But by making a few life changes, including giving up smoking and raising his credit (FICO) score, he was able to make his full mouth dental implant procedure affordable. Shaun’s life is forever changed for the better. In this article we’ll share Shaun’s journey through making his dental implant procedure affordable and how this has positively affected his life, while pleasing his children.

How Shaun’s Smoking Habit Came Between Him and His Desires

Shaun smoked two packs of cigarettes, daily, for more than 25 years. As he indicated in his story posted to YouTube, nothing tugged at his heart strings more than the embarrassment that his children experienced with smelling like smoke after he’d dropped them off for school each day.

“After smoking for 25 years, nobody’s complaints has hit me as hard as my children telling me they are affected by [my smoking] in a bad way,” Shaun shared in his interview with Nuvia® titled How I Afforded Dental Implants in 2024.

He also realized that smoking for so many years had left a bad mark on his teeth. And when he thought about the cost of supporting his smoking habit, he decided to take on the challenge and do something about it.

Note: Smokers suffer twice the risk of developing gum disease compared with nonsmokers. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss.

How Shaun Kicked His Smoking Habit

Once Shaun completed his due diligence on dental implants, he made up his mind that this is what he wanted for himself. Nothing would stop him, not even his smoking habit.

Shaun says he started by first making the decision to quit smoking. Following his decision to quit, Shaun knew he would need to replace the draw of craving a cigarette with a new habit. So he started sucking on a mint whenever he knew he would have an urge to light a cigarette.

It was natural for Shaun to want a cigarette after eating a meal. He planted in his mind that, “After having lunch… I’m going to put a mint in my mouth instead of putting a cigarette in my mouth,” Shaun said. This is a level of commitment — to have a healthy smile — that not everyone is willing to make.

5 Effective Steps for Breaking a Smoking Addition

Here are five steps you can take to successfully beat a smoking addiction:

Get Ready – Planning and preparing is the first key to quitting tobacco successfully; set a specific date.
Get Support and Encouragement – Research shows your odds are better if you get support from other.
Learn New Skills and Behaviors – Plan ways to distract yourself from urges by having other things nearby to hold in your hands or put in your mouth.
Consider Medication and Use it Correctly – Medication can be the key to quitting smoking.
Be Prepared for Relapse – Be prepared to handle difficult situations and to recover if you slip.

To learn more on how to kick a smoking habit, visit Quit Assist.

Kicking His Smoking Habit Helped Make Dental Implants Affordable

Shaun thought about what he was spending for cigarettes. In his experience he figured his average cost for a pack of Newport 100s was about $10. He was smoking two packs a day. His cigarette costs break down, as he explained it, was as follows:

Daily cost (for 2-packs): $20
Weekly cost: $140
Monthly cost: $608
Yearly cost: $7,300

If Shaun could overcome his nicotine addiction, not only would his children be proud and thankful, but he’d also place $608 back into his monthly cashflow to help make his implant treatment affordable. He cut additional frivolous spending by watching what he spent on “fancy coffee” each day as well.

“I wouldn’t have been able to smoke and have dental implants at the same time, it’s too expensive,” Shaun shared. “I’m not rich or wealthy, but I’m always looking for a way to save money. I knew that if I wanted dental implants, buying cigarettes was something that I would have to get rid of.”

Note: Studies show a significant increase in dental implant failure rates in patients who smoke compared with non-smokers. Surgeons routinely encourage patients to at least stop smoking during the time required for the jawbone to heal around the dental implants; commonly accepted as a three-month period.

Shaun Repaired His Credit and Got Approved for Treatment Financing

Adding $608 back into his monthly cashflow was major. But if Shaun was to put himself in a position to receive his full mouth dental implant procedure, sooner rather than later, he would need to borrow the money to pay for it.

“I didn’t qualify the first time I went in [for a loan]. My credit wasn’t great,” Shaun said. “I started working on my credit. I downloaded some credit apps that monitored my credit score. I started putting in disputes for things that shouldn’t be on my credit report anymore.”

Within four months, Shaun’s credit score increased from 450 to 650. “I was diligently working on my credit.” He reapplied for a treatment finance loan through his dental office and was approved.

This was Shaun’s first unsecured loan. And it exemplifies his desire to clear any obstacles in his way in order to make his desired and greatly needed dental implant procedure affordable.

Begin Repairing Your Credit Score

Take these steps to begin repairing your credit score:

Check your credit score and credit reports
Review your reports and dispute any errors
Establish positive financial habits to build good credit
Take strategic steps to establish new credit
Seek out credit counseling to discuss your options

For more insight on how to repairing your credit report and raising your FICO score, visit Bankrate.

Cost of an Upper and Lower Full Arch Implant Procedure

Disclaimer: PayingForDentalImplants.com was not privy to the cost of Shaun’s dental implant procedure. Nor do we know how much Shaun borrowed to finance his treatment. Any figures discussed here are based solely on our experience of what the typical patient can expect to pay for a full arch implant procedure also known as TeethXpress® and All-on-4®.

An All-on-4 dental implant procedure, for a single jaw, will commonly cost between $21,000 and $25,000. Or twice as much for both jaws. For demonstration purposes, we’ll use $45,000 here as the total cost for two jaws.

Full Mouth Implant Cost (Upper/Lower Jaw)	Interest Rate	Terms	Month Note
$45,000	10.9%	96 Months	$704.45

Why Patients Finance Full Mouth Dental Implants

In the above treatment cost example, an individual is able to reduce a $45,000 total upper and lower full mouth dental implant procedure cost, down to a $704.45 monthly payment. Many of the same people who claim they can’t afford dental implants suddenly can see themselves affording a monthly note such as this one.

Some might complain about the 10.9% interest rate in this example. Others may object to paying the cost over an eight-year period. To both arguments, the patient should always be mindful of the healthcare value this type of a loan makes possible.

Lower jaw full arch dental implant supported prosthesis.

If this is your concern, you should never underestimate the value and ability to eat from a wide variety of healthy foods without limits. You will benefit your overall health to enjoy raw salads, fresh fruits, nuts and protein. And the freedom to smile and speak without judgement is great for your mental health.

Of the top treatment financing companies available, we rank Proceed Finance highest for their ability to approve loans in large dollar amounts — up to $75,000 — and extend repayment terms. We rank several of these companies on our Healthcare Treatment Financing Companies post.

Shaun is Happy with His Full Arch Dental Implant Result

It’s been more than two years since Shaun received his dental implant procedure. Needless to say he is pleased with his new smile. Shortly following his dental implant surgery, Shaun prostheses were attached to his upper and lower jaws.

Shaun can now enjoy the foods that he’d always loved to eat again. Now he smiles with complete confidence. He no longer reeks of cigarette smoke, and to the contrary Shaun routinely receives compliments on how good he smells.

“When I started researching dental implants, I was determined to make it work whether it was affordable for me or not,” Shaun exclaimed. “If it’s a priority to you, you find a way to make it work for yourself.”

Shaun says every day has been a blessing for him since receiving his implants. And like so many other full mouth dental implant recipients, his only regret is that he didn’t do it sooner.

“I suffered through a lot of pain for a long time, and if I could have done it sooner, I would have.”

Summary

For more than 25 years, Shaun supported a very expensive cigarette smoking habit. He made a decision to quit smoking for various reasons including the need to make his much-needed dental implant procedure affordable. Treatment financing would require repairing his credit report and raising his FICO score. The money he saved by kicking his smoking habit and eliminating other unnecessary spending made his monthly repayment terms affordable. Shaun loves his new level of confidence that dental implants have given him. He also believes dental implants have been well worth the sacrifice and wishes he could have done it sooner.