Crowns & bridges cost: prices for every procedure
A crown is one of the most common large dental expenses, and one where the spread between practices is wide enough to be worth a second opinion. The fee covers the preparation, the impression or scan, the laboratory work and the fitting. Material choice and whether the practice uses an outside laboratory or mills in-house both move the number.
Observed dataObserved negotiated rates. Every figure here is a real negotiated amount taken from payer files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule. These are what a dental plan pays a contracted practice - not a cash price.
Estimated self-payEstimated self-pay range, not an observation. We do not have observed cash prices, and we will not present a modelled number as though we did. This range is the upper half of the same observed negotiated distribution, shown because an uninsured patient generally pays at or above the highest negotiated tier. Treat it as a budgeting aid and ask any practice for a written quote.
Ranked by median price
Medians only. The table below gives the full observed range and sample size for each.
Observed prices in full
| Treatment | Negotiated range Observed | Median | Spread | Practices (n) | Est. self-pay Estimated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-ceramic crown | $710 – $933 | $839 | 24,987 | $839 – $1,023 | |
| Porcelain-and-metal crown | $674 – $879 | $788 | 25,129 | $788 – $964 | |
| Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit | $640 – $828 | $736 | 25,347 | $736 – $916 | |
| Core build-up under a crown | $142 – $200 | $173 | 25,517 | $173 – $225 |
What to watch forA crown quote frequently excludes the build-up underneath it, and a tooth that needs a crown often needs a root canal first. Those are separate fees. Ask for the full sequence in writing before you agree to the first step.