Dental costs in Philadelphia, PA: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

155

practices

State

Pennsylvania

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 Philadelphia

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	$3,731 – $4,653	$4,200	102	$4,200 – $4,935
Full braces, teenager	$3,596 – $4,400	$3,995	104	$3,995 – $4,843
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,317 – $1,608	$1,429	143	$1,429 – $1,950
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$959 – $1,192	$1,047	134	$1,047 – $1,269
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$925 – $1,146	$1,045	135	$1,045 – $1,277
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$904 – $1,144	$1,009	146	$1,009 – $1,263
Full upper denture	$833 – $1,109	$965	142	$965 – $1,285
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$838 – $1,065	$962	147	$962 – $1,162
Full lower denture	$807 – $1,084	$934	134	$934 – $1,207
All-ceramic crown	$678 – $886	$821	146	$821 – $998
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$686 – $843	$768	136	$768 – $956
Root canal, molar	$684 – $852	$750	136	$750 – $934
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$663 – $824	$740	155	$740 – $950
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$596 – $808	$732	137	$732 – $932
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$640 – $811	$726	150	$726 – $914
Root canal, premolar	$534 – $679	$603	131	$603 – $757
Root canal, front tooth	$460 – $575	$521	135	$521 – $669
Bone graft at an implant site	$292 – $441	$373	118	$373 – $488
Hard night guard for grinding	$285 – $376	$324	122	$324 – $410
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$284 – $356	$323	133	$323 – $398
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$233 – $294	$263	140	$263 – $332
Surgical tooth extraction	$156 – $209	$188	132	$188 – $239
Core build-up under a crown	$128 – $192	$170	152	$170 – $218
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$138 – $186	$170	144	$170 – $210
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$124 – $169	$150	147	$150 – $194
White filling, back tooth	$94 – $132	$115	144	$115 – $153
Simple tooth extraction	$93 – $133	$114	140	$114 – $150
Silver filling, two surfaces	$97 – $126	$111	140	$111 – $149
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$81 – $128	$107	153	$107 – $144
White filling, front tooth	$91 – $120	$106	139	$106 – $134
Full-mouth X-ray series	$82 – $100	$92	120	$92 – $110
Silver filling, one surface	$79 – $102	$88	130	$88 – $116
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$78 – $99	$88	142	$88 – $115
Emergency visit for dental pain	$55 – $79	$67	138	$67 – $90
Adult teeth cleaning	$54 – $72	$66	147	$66 – $79
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$45 – $62	$56	126	$56 – $73
Child teeth cleaning	$41 – $53	$47	145	$47 – $59
Four bitewing X-rays	$40 – $48	$43	127	$43 – $56
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $39	$35	137	$35 – $45
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$31 – $40	$34	127	$34 – $44
Fluoride varnish treatment	$24 – $32	$28	131	$28 – $38

Philadelphia compared with Pennsylvania

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as a whole, 30 run above the state median and 11 below. The largest local saving is on Four bitewing X-rays: $43 here against $44 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Philadelphia

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 $922. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $2,810.

Observed negotiated prices in Philadelphia, PA. 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	$3,731	$4,653	$922	102
Full braces, teenager	$3,596	$4,400	$804	104
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,317	$1,608	$291	143
Full lower denture	$807	$1,084	$277	134
Full upper denture	$833	$1,109	$276	142
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$904	$1,144	$240	146

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 Philadelphia

These are federally funded health centres in Philadelphia. 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 Philadelphia. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Abbottsford Falls Health Center	4700 Wissahickon Ave, Suite 118	(267) 597-3600 · Website
Al-Assist Behavioral Health Care	1401 S 4th St	(215) 339-1070 · Website
Bainbridge	1348 Bainbridge St	(215) 563-0652 · Website
Broad Street Ministry	315 S Broad St	—
Carl Moore Health Center	1401 S 31st St	(215) 925-2400 · Website
Chinatown Medical Services - 2	432 N 6th St	(215) 925-2400 · Website
Congreso Health Center	216 W Somerset St	(267) 765-2272
Cottman Community Health Center	3525 Cottman Ave	(215) 471-2761 · Website
Covenant House Health Services	251 E Bringhurst St	(215) 844-1020
Covenant House Health and Dental Services	8127 Stenton Ave	(261) 331-9832
Covenant House Medical Center	8125 Stenton Ave	(215) 248-7560
Dental Clinic	1207 Chestnut St, #5	Website

Pennsylvania has 466 such sites statewide — see the Pennsylvania page.

Other cities in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Philadelphia practices are behind these figures?

Between 102 and 155 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Philadelphia figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Philadelphia dentist charge me these amounts?

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