Dental costs in Saint Louis, MO: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

Missouri

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 Saint Louis

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	$4,158 – $4,600	$4,314	41	$4,314 – $5,095
Full braces, teenager	$3,911 – $4,401	$4,200	41	$4,200 – $4,858
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,291 – $1,612	$1,484	51	$1,484 – $1,797
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$845 – $1,184	$1,010	47	$1,010 – $1,256
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$840 – $1,214	$998	52	$998 – $1,346
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$828 – $1,201	$977	50	$977 – $1,296
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$829 – $1,073	$936	49	$936 – $1,215
Full lower denture	$735 – $1,086	$918	51	$918 – $1,212
Full upper denture	$750 – $1,094	$914	51	$914 – $1,205
All-ceramic crown	$677 – $920	$846	52	$846 – $1,034
Root canal, molar	$684 – $912	$811	51	$811 – $1,016
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$684 – $955	$798	50	$798 – $1,054
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$648 – $850	$744	52	$744 – $947
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$636 – $825	$721	48	$721 – $908
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$633 – $811	$710	50	$710 – $891
Root canal, premolar	$515 – $716	$619	51	$619 – $764
Root canal, front tooth	$444 – $628	$532	51	$532 – $673
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$277 – $370	$323	51	$323 – $407
Bone graft at an implant site	$262 – $437	$314	49	$314 – $461
Hard night guard for grinding	$285 – $349	$298	48	$298 – $388
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$233 – $303	$270	52	$270 – $340
Surgical tooth extraction	$148 – $218	$186	50	$186 – $238
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$136 – $196	$176	51	$176 – $212
Core build-up under a crown	$128 – $201	$175	51	$175 – $218
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$125 – $173	$145	52	$145 – $191
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$89 – $133	$114	51	$114 – $153
White filling, back tooth	$97 – $130	$110	51	$110 – $148
Simple tooth extraction	$89 – $125	$109	51	$109 – $139
Silver filling, two surfaces	$95 – $123	$106	51	$106 – $132
White filling, front tooth	$91 – $123	$100	54	$100 – $136
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$82 – $108	$97	49	$97 – $119
Full-mouth X-ray series	$77 – $104	$90	53	$90 – $117
Silver filling, one surface	$79 – $100	$86	49	$86 – $111
Emergency visit for dental pain	$62 – $84	$68	50	$68 – $90
Adult teeth cleaning	$57 – $74	$65	52	$65 – $80
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$48 – $66	$57	51	$57 – $75
Child teeth cleaning	$44 – $57	$49	56	$49 – $62
Four bitewing X-rays	$36 – $50	$43	49	$43 – $56
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$32 – $43	$37	46	$37 – $46
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $40	$36	52	$36 – $46
Fluoride varnish treatment	$26 – $34	$28	50	$28 – $37

Saint Louis compared with Missouri

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Saint Louis and Missouri as a whole, 23 run above the state median and 18 below. The largest local saving is on Hard night guard for grinding: $298 here against $310 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Saint Louis

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 $490. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $2,374.

Observed negotiated prices in Saint Louis, MO. 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	$3,911	$4,401	$490	41
Full braces, adult	$4,158	$4,600	$442	41
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$840	$1,214	$374	52
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$828	$1,201	$373	50
Full lower denture	$735	$1,086	$351	51
Full upper denture	$750	$1,094	$344	51

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 Saint Louis

These are federally funded health centres in Saint Louis. 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 Saint Louis. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Adult Services	5669 Delmar Blvd	Website
Affinia Healthcare 1717 Biddle	1717 Biddle St	(314) 814-8585 · Website
Affinia Healthcare 2220 Lemp	2220 Lemp Ave	(314) 814-8680 · Website
Affinia Healthcare 3930 S. Broadway	3930 S Broadway	(314) 898-1700 · Website
Affinia Healthcare 4414 N. Florissant	4414 N Florissant Ave	(314) 898-1717 · Website
Affinia Healthcare Ferguson	3396 Pershall Rd	(314) 898-1700
Affinia Healthcare Pagedale	6763 Page Ave	(314) 678-9260
Affinia Healthcare at The St. Louis Dental Center	1500 Park Ave	(314) 898-1700 · Website
Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers	5701 Delmar Blvd	Website
Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers Mobile Van	5701 Delmar Blvd	Website
Carondelet	401 Holly Hills Ave	(314) 481-1615 · Website
Clarity Healthcare	6155 S Grand Blvd	(314) 928-8901 · Website

Missouri has 471 such sites statewide — see the Missouri page.

Other cities in Missouri

Kansas City Independence Springfield Chesterfield O Fallon Saint Joseph Sedalia Columbia St Louis Lees Summit Blue Springs Raytown Saint Peters Wentzville Joplin

Missouri overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Saint Louis practices are behind these figures?

Between 41 and 56 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Saint Louis figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Saint Louis dentist charge me these amounts?

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