Dental costs in Tuscaloosa, AL: local dentist prices

Observed negotiated prices for 41 treatments from dental practices located in Tuscaloosa.

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

Alabama

see statewide data

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.

Observed prices in Tuscaloosa

Negotiated columns are observed. The self-pay column is an estimate derived from the upper half of the same distribution — see methodology. Column headings sort the table.
Treatment	Negotiated range Observed	Median	Practices (n)	Est. self-pay Estimated
Full braces, adult	$4,259 – $5,401	$5,226	10	$5,226 – $5,441
Full braces, teenager	$3,694 – $5,038	$4,871	10	$4,871 – $5,215
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,551 – $2,250	$2,000	13	$2,000 – $2,281
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$1,243 – $1,567	$1,502	11	$1,502 – $1,834
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$1,094 – $1,384	$1,384	13	$1,384 – $1,587
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$762 – $1,483	$916	12	$916 – $1,670
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$756 – $1,483	$911	12	$911 – $1,670
Root canal, molar	$639 – $1,075	$825	13	$825 – $1,102
Full upper denture	$625 – $1,273	$795	12	$795 – $1,392
Full lower denture	$616 – $1,273	$785	12	$785 – $1,392
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$627 – $1,170	$769	12	$769 – $1,186
All-ceramic crown	$550 – $1,088	$736	12	$736 – $1,172
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$528 – $904	$696	9	$696 – $1,101
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$510 – $997	$686	10	$686 – $1,081
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$472 – $742	$655	9	$655 – $898
Root canal, premolar	$557 – $854	$632	14	$632 – $893
Root canal, front tooth	$468 – $730	$525	11	$525 – $772
Bone graft at an implant site	$285 – $428	$428	11	$428 – $520
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$291 – $374	$331	12	$331 – $484
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$250 – $335	$287	13	$287 – $389
Hard night guard for grinding	$242 – $345	$274	13	$274 – $442
Surgical tooth extraction	$132 – $254	$186	14	$186 – $271
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$147 – $201	$175	13	$175 – $262
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$129 – $186	$144	10	$144 – $230
Core build-up under a crown	$116 – $202	$142	12	$142 – $251
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$102 – $160	$119	13	$119 – $163
White filling, front tooth	$86 – $134	$110	11	$110 – $161
White filling, back tooth	$100 – $155	$110	9	$110 – $181
Full-mouth X-ray series	$92 – $132	$106	11	$106 – $134
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$66 – $105	$96	12	$96 – $134
Simple tooth extraction	$75 – $149	$96	12	$96 – $162
Silver filling, two surfaces	$64 – $170	$95	12	$95 – $175
Silver filling, one surface	$53 – $132	$77	12	$77 – $133
Adult teeth cleaning	$60 – $78	$69	12	$69 – $94
Emergency visit for dental pain	$55 – $100	$67	12	$67 – $112
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$56 – $76	$60	11	$60 – $81
Four bitewing X-rays	$39 – $58	$50	11	$50 – $61
Child teeth cleaning	$42 – $63	$49	10	$49 – $69
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$33 – $44	$38	11	$38 – $49
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$29 – $40	$36	12	$36 – $51
Fluoride varnish treatment	$25 – $42	$34	11	$34 – $42

Tuscaloosa compared with Alabama

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Tuscaloosa and Alabama as a whole, 27 run above the state median and 14 below. The largest local saving is on Hard night guard for grinding: $274 here against $322 statewide.

See the Alabama state page for the full statewide picture and every other published city.

What shopping around is worth in Tuscaloosa

Every figure on this site is a distribution, not an average, so the gap between the cheaper and dearer end of the local market can be stated in dollars. On Full braces, teenager alone, the difference between a practice at the 25th percentile and one at the 75th is $1,344. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $5,290.

Observed negotiated prices in Tuscaloosa, AL. The gap is what moving from an expensive practice to a cheaper one is worth for the same treatment.
Treatment	Lower end (25th)	Upper end (75th)	Gap	Practices (n)
Full braces, teenager	$3,694	$5,038	$1,344	10
Full braces, adult	$4,259	$5,401	$1,142	10
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$756	$1,483	$727	12
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$762	$1,483	$721	12
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,551	$2,250	$699	13
Full lower denture	$616	$1,273	$657	12

This is an argument for collecting itemised written quotes rather than accepting the first, particularly on the larger items — see how to read a treatment plan.

Lower-cost care in Tuscaloosa

These are federally funded health centres in Tuscaloosa. They charge on a sliding scale based on your income, which usually makes them the cheapest route if you are uninsured. The federal dataset does not record which sites provide dentistry — many do, but call first and ask specifically about dental services and sliding-scale eligibility.

Active federally funded health centre sites in Tuscaloosa. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Maude L. Whatley Health Center	2731 Ml King Jr Blvd	(205) 758-6647 · Website
Mobile Health Unit	2731 Ml King Jr Blvd	(205) 349-3250 · Website
Theodore Hendrix Dental Center	2731 Ml King Jr Blvd	(205) 758-6647 · Website

Alabama has 215 such sites statewide — see the Alabama page.

Other cities in Alabama

Montgomery Mobile Birmingham Huntsville Homewood Anniston Gadsden Trussville Florence Madison

Alabama overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Tuscaloosa practices are behind these figures?

Between 9 and 14 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Tuscaloosa figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Tuscaloosa dentist charge me these amounts?

Not if you are paying cash. These are rates negotiated between plans and contracted practices in Tuscaloosa. Uninsured patients are normally quoted higher. Ask any practice for an itemised written quote — that is the only number that binds them.