How Much Does Dental Work Cost Without Insurance?

Fact checked by Bobby L. Hickman, FLMI CLU Fact checked by Bobby L. Hickman, FLMI CLU

The cost of dental work without insurance depends on the services you need. It can range from around $100 for a simple cleaning to a few hundred dollars for a tooth filling to thousands of dollars for a tooth implant and crown. 

You’re not alone if you don’t have dental insurance and need work done. According to the American Dental Association, around 23% of U.S. adults don’t have dental benefits. Even if you do have insurance, it will only cover part of the cost of more expensive treatments and it might not cover some procedures at all. Before seeing the dentist, it helps to know just what you might pay. There are strategies you can use to save on dental work without insurance. 

Key Takeaways

• On average, the cost of dental work ranges from about $100 for an exam to $150 for an amalgam filling, $1,500 for a crown, and $3,500 for a dental implant. 
• Dental procedures are generally classified as preventive, basic, or major care.
• In general, preventive services such as cleaning are the least expensive dental work, while major services such as implants are the most costly.
• Pricing varies based on your needed service and any complicating factors or requirements.
• If you can’t afford dental care, there are some institutions and organizations that may be able to help you get free or reduced-cost dental services.

Dental Work Costs Without Insurance

The three major categories of dental services vary in cost depending on the dentist’s location, specific procedures you need, and other complicating factors.

Preventive Services Costs

In general, preventive care includes the least expensive dental care. These services—such as exams and cleanings—might cost just a few hundred dollars per year or less. If the dentist notices an issue during the exam, diagnostic procedures help determine the right action.

Basic Services Costs

Basic services include tooth repair, emergency pain-relieving treatment, simple tooth extractions, and gum cleaning. These services usually cost more than preventive treatment, depending on how complicated the procedure is and your chosen dental materials. For example, a silver-colored filling will cost less than a tooth-colored filling.

Note

According to American Dental Association data, about 21% of U.S. adults have untreated dental cavities or decay.

Major Services Costs

Major services include crowns and inlays/onlays, implants, bridge repair and construction, dentures, and even night guards. These are the most expensive dental procedures. Dental insurance typically only covers a smaller portion of procedures or limits how often you can do the procedure. 

Costs for Common Dental Work Procedures Without Insurance

Here are some average national prices for standard dental work without insurance, based on a survey produced by the American Dental Association. Out-of-pocket costs may be higher or lower where you live. 

Dental Cleaning Costs 

A simple cleaning for an adult runs an average of about $98 nationally, while a dental exam costs around $55 to $87, depending on whether you’re a new or existing patient and how thorough the exam is. But if you decide to add on services, costs may increase. For example:

• Topical application of fluoride: $42
• Dental X-rays: $48-$101, depending on the number of X-rays
• Tooth sealants: $58 per tooth 

Cavity Filling Costs 

Cavities or decay inside a permanent tooth can be filled with a silver-colored (amalgam) or tooth-colored (composite) material. Costs for a filling often depend on the number of fillings needed and whether it’s for a back tooth or front tooth. 

Amalgam on the surface of one tooth costs an estimated average of $146 nationally, while a composite is around $174, according to the ADA survey. But pricing can vary by state. In New Hampshire, for example, the statewide average for an amalgam filling is $224.

You may also need local anesthesia, which could run around $35 for your treatment. Nitrous oxide is about twice the price, at $73.

Tooth Extraction Costs

Removing a tooth may cost as little as $135 or as much as $500—or more. The cost depends on the complexity level and the tooth’s condition when it’s time to pull it. A tooth may be simple to remove or require additional oral surgery if it’s impacted. 

Tooth extraction will likely also incur costs for anesthetic (as with fillings). Depending on the reason for removal, you might need to get an implant or denture for the empty space left behind. But if you remove impacted wisdom teeth, you would need an implant. 

Dental Implant Costs

Implants are among the more expensive dental work you can get without dental insurance. Implants involve a two-step process. The implant is commonly a post implanted into the jaw. This implant supports a crown for one tooth or a bridge for several teeth. The implant process can be complicated—and more costly—if there’s a need for a bone graft or other issues arise.

However, simply surgically placing the implant costs around $2,000 or more. Adding an abutment and crown atop the post is around another $1,500. Additional complications such as needing bone grafts add another $500 or more to the final price. 

Denture Costs

Dentures are false teeth that may be created for one tooth, a group of teeth, or an entire upper or lower jaw. A single-tooth denture might cost around $193 per tooth, but expenses rapidly increase based on the type of denture you need.

An immediate denture replaces missing teeth using materials prepared in advance, costing around $1,850 for the entire jaw. Conventional dentures take longer to craft and cost around $100 less. 

Partial dentures only replace part of your jawline and teeth and cost $1,338 to $1,800 or even more. 

Root Canal Costs 

A root canal drills into a tooth to clean out an infection, save the natural tooth, and seal any damage. Then, a crown may be placed on top of the tooth. The tooth location may influence root canal costs—a molar root canal is typically more expensive than a root canal in other locations. 

So, like with many other dental procedures, several costs may add up. The cost of just the root canal is around $1,109. These prices may vary based on location—in New Hampshire, the average cost for a root canal is closer to $1,600.

Then, depending on the type of treatment for the repaired tooth, costs vary greatly—but a crown averages around $1,446 nationally.

Scaling and Root Planing Costs

Periodontal scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning of your teeth below the gumline. This service costs around $303 per quadrant or a quarter of your mouth. It typically includes four or more teeth. 

Alternatives to Dental Insurance

Some dental insurance plans are more affordable than others—especially dental HMOs. So if you think you might need expensive procedures in the next few years, it may cost less than you think to get insurance now. Dental discount plans may also help you get the care you need at a reduced cost.

But if those don’t work for you, consider the following options. 

Dental Schools and Dental Hygiene Schools

These schools allow future dentists and dental hygienists to treat patients, earning necessary dental experience while offering reduced-cost care. Experienced, licensed professionals may provide care or oversee student work and training. These programs may offer income-adjusted sliding scale fees. 

Dental hygiene clinics focus on training for cleanings and may offer very low rates, such as $20 for a cleaning, x-ray, and exam. 

Community Health Centers

Community health centers across the U.S. offer integrated oral health to underserved populations, including those needing dental work without insurance. In 2021, health center dental programs had 14.4 million patient visits. 

Community health centers may offer a broad range of services, including cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, and mouth guards. Some may even provide cosmetic services such as tooth whitening and veneers. 

Faith-Based and Community Organizations 

If you’re uninsured, you may be able to access dental services through faith-based organizations or community organizations. You may be able to get exams, cleanings, dentures, tooth removal, and other services for free or at extremely low cost. 

Dental Offices

In some states, such as California, specific dentists strive to offer low-cost dental care. You can seek out these dentists through local and regional organizations such as the California Dental Association. Some dental associations offer “Missions of Mercy” clinics in conjunction with America’s Dentists Care Foundation (ADCF).

Why Some People Must Pay Out of Pocket for Dental Care

You must pay monthly premiums for dental insurance. When weighing coverage options, some people find they’d pay more in premiums than they’d use in dental care for the year, particularly those who don’t have a complicated oral history. For example, if you only get cleanings, your annual insurance premiums could total more than your cleanings, exams, and fluoride would cost without insurance. 

Insurance can also be confusing or difficult to buy and use. For example, you may not know that your insurance limits how often you can have a procedure done. It might say you only get coverage for dental implants or removals once per lifetime and tooth space. Or a night guard to prevent tooth grinding might be covered only once every five years.

If you need these procedures outside the time limits, you may pay the same as if you didn’t have insurance. 

Finally, some people have insurance but discover it doesn’t cover procedures as they thought it might. Dental insurance may exclude procedures due to a waiting period, not cover a specific type of procedure, or set a low annual limit for how much the plan pays per year.

Note

Almost 10% of US adults can’t access dental care due to cost. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Can I Fix My Teeth If I Don’t Have Money?

You can investigate alternative options if you don’t have money to fix dental problems. You may get help through dental schools, dental hygiene schools, community health clinics, faith-based organizations, and state and local health departments or community centers. Some programs may offer free care or sliding-scale fees for dental services based on your income. 

How Do People Afford a Lot of Dental Work?

American Dental Association research found that adults with Medicaid benefits had more invasive services, such as oral surgery procedures. This could be because Medicaid helps defray the cost of dental care. Others without access to Medicaid dental services may need to save money, pay a higher premium for dental insurance coverage, take out a personal loan, or use a dental financing program. 

Are Dental Expenses Tax-Deductible?

Yes, if you itemize expenses for your taxes, out-of-pocket dental expenses may be tax deductible. However, the expenses must total 7.5% of your year’s adjusted gross income and must be expenses for which you received no reimbursement from insurance or another source. Deductible expenses may be both preventive treatments and dental disease treatments. Some dental expenses, such as teeth whitening, are not tax deductible. Your dental insurance premiums aren’t tax-deductible unless you’re self-employed. 

The Bottom Line

While dental work without insurance may be expensive, the financial costs of untreated dental issues may be even higher. Untreated dental disease can lead to problems with eating, speaking, and tooth loss, which can then lead to an unhealthy diet and additional chronic issues. 

So, seeking help for dental issues is essential, whether you pay out of pocket, rely on affordable dental services or financial assistance, or purchase dental insurance to help defray the costs. Keeping up with preventive measures such as routine brushing and flossing can help avoid long-term dental problems—and their costs.

Read the original article on Investopedia.