Dental costs in Chapel Hill, NC: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

North Carolina

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 Chapel Hill

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	$4,200 – $5,215	$4,776	14	$4,776 – $5,793
Full braces, teenager	$4,178 – $4,973	$4,449	15	$4,449 – $5,594
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,454 – $1,736	$1,604	17	$1,604 – $1,923
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$1,045 – $1,283	$1,137	21	$1,137 – $1,364
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$1,046 – $1,223	$1,131	21	$1,131 – $1,354
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$999 – $1,224	$1,064	20	$1,064 – $1,281
Full upper denture	$886 – $1,200	$1,031	23	$1,031 – $1,253
Full lower denture	$836 – $1,200	$1,030	22	$1,030 – $1,259
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$894 – $1,178	$1,017	16	$1,017 – $1,209
All-ceramic crown	$730 – $925	$855	20	$855 – $1,016
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$735 – $903	$848	22	$848 – $918
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$668 – $881	$846	22	$846 – $907
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$686 – $900	$842	22	$842 – $995
Root canal, molar	$706 – $919	$828	23	$828 – $996
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$678 – $840	$777	21	$777 – $930
Root canal, premolar	$605 – $737	$670	22	$670 – $784
Root canal, front tooth	$483 – $611	$539	19	$539 – $737
Hard night guard for grinding	$334 – $367	$348	17	$348 – $383
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$331 – $386	$344	23	$344 – $404
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$266 – $341	$295	24	$295 – $343
Bone graft at an implant site	$260 – $387	$280	19	$280 – $437
Surgical tooth extraction	$188 – $221	$206	23	$206 – $224
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$144 – $192	$173	22	$173 – $210
Core build-up under a crown	$125 – $189	$167	20	$167 – $209
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$129 – $182	$162	23	$162 – $202
Simple tooth extraction	$109 – $141	$124	22	$124 – $149
White filling, back tooth	$101 – $133	$120	20	$120 – $140
Silver filling, two surfaces	$104 – $136	$118	22	$118 – $141
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$94 – $116	$108	24	$108 – $119
White filling, front tooth	$95 – $121	$107	20	$107 – $129
Full-mouth X-ray series	$90 – $101	$94	20	$94 – $108
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$75 – $117	$94	20	$94 – $131
Silver filling, one surface	$82 – $106	$92	20	$92 – $111
Adult teeth cleaning	$70 – $76	$74	24	$74 – $80
Emergency visit for dental pain	$60 – $86	$70	20	$70 – $97
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$54 – $67	$60	23	$60 – $72
Child teeth cleaning	$52 – $58	$54	23	$54 – $61
Four bitewing X-rays	$43 – $53	$48	20	$48 – $56
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $45	$39	19	$39 – $46
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$34 – $40	$37	19	$37 – $44
Fluoride varnish treatment	$28 – $35	$30	20	$30 – $37

Chapel Hill compared with North Carolina

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Chapel Hill and North Carolina as a whole, 19 run above the state median and 22 below. The largest local saving is on Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant: $94 here against $114 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Chapel Hill

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 $1,015. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,054.

Observed negotiated prices in Chapel Hill, NC. 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	$4,200	$5,215	$1,015	14
Full braces, teenager	$4,178	$4,973	$795	15
Full lower denture	$836	$1,200	$364	22
Full upper denture	$886	$1,200	$314	23
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$894	$1,178	$284	16
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,454	$1,736	$282	17

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 Chapel Hill

These are federally funded health centres in Chapel Hill. 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 Chapel Hill. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Chapel Hill Community Health Center	105 Conner Dr, #2100 Bldg 1	(919) 951-7600
Chapel Hill Community Health Center	107 Conner Dr STE 100	(919) 951-7600
Piedmont New Hope Elementary School Based Behavioral Health	1900 New Hope Church Rd	(919) 942-9696

North Carolina has 778 such sites statewide — see the North Carolina page.

Other cities in North Carolina

North Carolina overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Chapel Hill practices are behind these figures?

Between 14 and 24 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Chapel Hill figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Chapel Hill dentist charge me these amounts?

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