Dental costs in Cambridge, MA: local dentist prices

Observed negotiated prices for 20 treatments from dental practices located in Cambridge.

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

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 Cambridge

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 lower denture	$801 – $1,047	$975	8	$975 – $1,162
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$653 – $859	$782	8	$782 – $916
All-ceramic crown	$714 – $869	$778	9	$778 – $959
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$668 – $890	$754	9	$754 – $940
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$455 – $785	$731	8	$731 – $840
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$589 – $836	$730	8	$730 – $838
Root canal, premolar	$508 – $657	$568	8	$568 – $722
Root canal, front tooth	$463 – $625	$528	10	$528 – $690
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$297 – $375	$300	9	$300 – $378
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$224 – $306	$287	9	$287 – $316
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$149 – $192	$174	8	$174 – $200
Surgical tooth extraction	$128 – $206	$165	8	$165 – $224
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$115 – $178	$153	8	$153 – $186
Simple tooth extraction	$80 – $127	$118	10	$118 – $147
White filling, front tooth	$83 – $124	$109	8	$109 – $126
Full-mouth X-ray series	$75 – $107	$93	8	$93 – $110
Silver filling, one surface	$67 – $108	$89	8	$89 – $114
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$82 – $96	$88	8	$88 – $111
Emergency visit for dental pain	$50 – $80	$58	9	$58 – $93
Child teeth cleaning	$43 – $52	$47	8	$47 – $56

Cambridge compared with Massachusetts

Across the 20 treatments we can price in both Cambridge and Massachusetts as a whole, 2 run above the state median and 18 below. The largest local saving is on Surgical tooth extraction: $165 here against $194 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Cambridge

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 Porcelain veneer (per tooth) alone, the difference between a practice at the 25th percentile and one at the 75th is $330. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $1,413.

Observed negotiated prices in Cambridge, 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)
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$455	$785	$330	8
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$589	$836	$247	8
Full lower denture	$801	$1,047	$246	8
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$668	$890	$222	9
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$653	$859	$206	8
Root canal, front tooth	$463	$625	$162	10

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 Cambridge

These are federally funded health centres in Cambridge. 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 Cambridge. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Y2Y Harvard Square	1 Church St	(857) 654-1600

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

Other cities in Massachusetts

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

Massachusetts overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Cambridge practices are behind these figures?

Between 8 and 10 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Cambridge figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Cambridge dentist charge me these amounts?

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