Dental costs in Boston, MA: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

103

practices

State

Massachusetts

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 Boston

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	$4,102 – $5,096	$4,439	79	$4,439 – $5,800
Full braces, teenager	$3,911 – $4,883	$4,246	80	$4,246 – $5,800
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,371 – $1,721	$1,524	99	$1,524 – $1,873
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$998 – $1,202	$1,093	92	$1,093 – $1,350
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$1,006 – $1,206	$1,082	91	$1,082 – $1,343
Full upper denture	$911 – $1,152	$1,021	101	$1,021 – $1,283
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$907 – $1,113	$1,013	103	$1,013 – $1,198
Full lower denture	$883 – $1,126	$1,007	101	$1,007 – $1,265
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$889 – $1,071	$981	101	$981 – $1,175
All-ceramic crown	$781 – $950	$850	96	$850 – $1,012
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$714 – $901	$820	97	$820 – $1,007
Root canal, molar	$714 – $922	$816	93	$816 – $1,017
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$745 – $890	$806	97	$806 – $971
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$691 – $862	$777	98	$777 – $970
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$683 – $811	$737	93	$737 – $886
Root canal, premolar	$564 – $711	$632	95	$632 – $796
Root canal, front tooth	$510 – $628	$559	94	$559 – $722
Hard night guard for grinding	$289 – $384	$337	96	$337 – $411
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$305 – $381	$336	92	$336 – $428
Bone graft at an implant site	$280 – $388	$315	96	$315 – $459
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$252 – $333	$296	99	$296 – $369
Surgical tooth extraction	$181 – $228	$208	95	$208 – $253
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$159 – $202	$183	96	$183 – $226
Core build-up under a crown	$151 – $202	$180	95	$180 – $220
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$135 – $176	$155	98	$155 – $192
White filling, back tooth	$106 – $138	$119	103	$119 – $154
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$100 – $133	$116	97	$116 – $157
Simple tooth extraction	$102 – $128	$115	94	$115 – $142
Silver filling, two surfaces	$98 – $130	$111	100	$111 – $145
White filling, front tooth	$98 – $124	$109	98	$109 – $135
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$85 – $113	$97	96	$97 – $121
Full-mouth X-ray series	$89 – $105	$94	93	$94 – $114
Silver filling, one surface	$83 – $105	$92	94	$92 – $113
Emergency visit for dental pain	$62 – $84	$68	97	$68 – $95
Adult teeth cleaning	$62 – $73	$66	99	$66 – $78
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$51 – $68	$58	95	$58 – $76
Child teeth cleaning	$46 – $54	$49	99	$49 – $60
Four bitewing X-rays	$41 – $50	$45	93	$45 – $55
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $41	$38	91	$38 – $46
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$31 – $40	$35	90	$35 – $46
Fluoride varnish treatment	$27 – $34	$30	96	$30 – $41

Boston compared with Massachusetts

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Boston and Massachusetts as a whole, 33 run above the state median and 8 below. The largest local saving is on Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit: $737 here against $742 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Boston

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, adult alone, the difference between a practice at the 25th percentile and one at the 75th is $994. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,008.

Observed negotiated prices in Boston, MA. 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, adult	$4,102	$5,096	$994	79
Full braces, teenager	$3,911	$4,883	$972	80
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,371	$1,721	$350	99
Full lower denture	$883	$1,126	$243	101
Full upper denture	$911	$1,152	$241	101
Root canal, molar	$714	$922	$208	93

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 Boston

These are federally funded health centres in Boston. 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 Boston. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
225 Sumner Street	225 Sumner St	(617) 569-5800 · Website
Breaktime	63 Franklin St	(857) 654-1000
Bridge Over Troubled Waters	47 West St	(857) 654-1000
Engagement Center	26 Atkinson St	—
Fenway Health, Ansin Building	1340 Boylston St	(617) 267-0900 · Website
Jean Yawkey Place	780 Albany St	(857) 654-1000 · Website
Kingston House	39 Kingston St	(617) 482-8819
Lindemann Mental Health Center	25 Staniford St	(617) 626-8500
Massachusetts General Hospital	55 Fruit St	(857) 238-0535
Mobile Van #1	780 Albany St	(857) 654-1300
New England Center and Home for Veterans	17 Court St	(617) 371-1772
North End Waterfront Health	332 Hanover St	(617) 643-8085 · Website

Massachusetts has 261 such sites statewide — see the Massachusetts page.

Other cities in Massachusetts

Franklin Worcester Brockton Milford Norton Auburn Springfield Framingham Roslindale Lowell Quincy Somerville Salem Brookline Waltham Hyannis Attleboro Cambridge West Springfield Medford Lawrence Mansfield Holyoke Weymouth

Massachusetts overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Boston practices are behind these figures?

Between 79 and 103 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Boston figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Boston dentist charge me these amounts?

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