Check-ups, cleanings & X-rays cost: prices for every procedure
Preventive visits are the cheapest dental care you will ever buy and the only category where the price gap between practices rarely matters much. They are also the category insurers cover most generously, often at 100% and outside the annual maximum. The reason to shop carefully here is not the fee itself but what gets added to it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-mouth X-ray series | $84 – $106 | $95 | 23,996 | $95 – $118 | |
| Adult teeth cleaning | $58 – $76 | $68 | 24,084 | $68 – $84 | |
| Comprehensive exam (new patient) | $48 – $66 | $58 | 24,548 | $58 – $75 | |
| Child teeth cleaning | $44 – $56 | $50 | 24,553 | $50 – $61 | |
| Four bitewing X-rays | $39 – $50 | $45 | 24,130 | $45 – $55 | |
| Routine check-up (returning patient) | $31 – $41 | $36 | 23,692 | $36 – $46 | |
| Dental sealant (per tooth) | $33 – $42 | $36 | 25,244 | $36 – $46 | |
| Fluoride varnish treatment | $26 – $34 | $29 | 23,556 | $29 – $39 |
What to watch forA "new patient special" that looks cheap often covers the exam only. The X-rays and the cleaning are billed separately, and a full-mouth series plus a cleaning can be several times the advertised figure. Ask which code the quoted price maps to.