Dental costs in Pittsburgh, PA: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

144

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 Pittsburgh

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	$3,371 – $5,100	$4,120	106	$4,120 – $5,828
Full braces, teenager	$3,366 – $5,150	$3,945	102	$3,945 – $5,798
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,339 – $1,662	$1,466	122	$1,466 – $1,831
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$904 – $1,215	$1,050	132	$1,050 – $1,350
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$902 – $1,200	$1,039	135	$1,039 – $1,348
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$878 – $1,287	$1,017	131	$1,017 – $1,378
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$849 – $1,162	$969	132	$969 – $1,370
Full upper denture	$826 – $1,146	$967	126	$967 – $1,236
Full lower denture	$829 – $1,165	$964	128	$964 – $1,238
All-ceramic crown	$706 – $903	$840	134	$840 – $1,038
Root canal, molar	$649 – $881	$792	128	$792 – $963
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$666 – $912	$758	137	$758 – $1,091
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$600 – $844	$740	125	$740 – $918
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$638 – $850	$719	128	$719 – $1,037
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$612 – $823	$712	130	$712 – $963
Root canal, premolar	$530 – $720	$634	132	$634 – $840
Root canal, front tooth	$438 – $615	$542	144	$542 – $718
Bone graft at an implant site	$300 – $416	$354	113	$354 – $464
Hard night guard for grinding	$269 – $386	$322	114	$322 – $439
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$272 – $384	$320	133	$320 – $462
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$238 – $324	$280	137	$280 – $391
Surgical tooth extraction	$148 – $224	$186	139	$186 – $249
Core build-up under a crown	$146 – $208	$170	139	$170 – $240
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$134 – $196	$167	130	$167 – $210
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$125 – $179	$150	135	$150 – $209
White filling, back tooth	$94 – $134	$113	134	$113 – $154
Simple tooth extraction	$90 – $140	$110	137	$110 – $152
Silver filling, two surfaces	$86 – $142	$106	135	$106 – $155
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$89 – $140	$104	136	$104 – $161
White filling, front tooth	$84 – $124	$103	134	$103 – $146
Full-mouth X-ray series	$87 – $110	$100	109	$100 – $118
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$80 – $111	$93	134	$93 – $127
Silver filling, one surface	$71 – $112	$86	140	$86 – $124
Emergency visit for dental pain	$62 – $92	$72	118	$72 – $100
Adult teeth cleaning	$58 – $72	$64	129	$64 – $80
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$50 – $65	$59	127	$59 – $72
Child teeth cleaning	$44 – $57	$50	137	$50 – $60
Four bitewing X-rays	$40 – $52	$46	122	$46 – $58
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$32 – $44	$38	135	$38 – $50
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$32 – $40	$36	120	$36 – $45
Fluoride varnish treatment	$25 – $34	$29	116	$29 – $35

Pittsburgh compared with Pennsylvania

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania as a whole, 36 run above the state median and 5 below. The largest local saving is on Porcelain-and-metal crown: $740 here against $749 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Pittsburgh

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 $1,784. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $4,901.

Observed negotiated prices in Pittsburgh, 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, teenager	$3,366	$5,150	$1,784	102
Full braces, adult	$3,371	$5,100	$1,729	106
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$878	$1,287	$409	131
Full lower denture	$829	$1,165	$336	128
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,339	$1,662	$323	122
Full upper denture	$826	$1,146	$320	126

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 Pittsburgh

These are federally funded health centres in Pittsburgh. 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 Pittsburgh. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
AbsoluteCare Pittsburgh	7301 Penn Ave	(412) 517-3000
Birmingham Clinic / Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations	1515 Locust St	(412) 246-3053
Community Human Services/Wood Street Commons	301 3rd Ave	(412) 621-4706
East End Community Health Center	745 N Negley Ave	(412) 404-4000
East Liberty Family Healthcare Center- Uptown/Hill District	1425 Forbes Ave	(412) 661-2802
East Liberty Medical Office	6023 Harvard St	(412) 661-2802 · Website
Family Links	1601 5th Ave	(412) 661-1800
Hazelwood Health Center	4918 2nd Ave	(412) 422-9520
Hill House Health Center	1835 Centre Ave	(412) 261-0937
Hilltop Community Health Center of Cornerstone Care	151 Ruth St	(412) 431-3520
Lincoln-Lemington Medical And Dental Office	7157 Mary Peck Bond Pl	(412) 661-2802 · Website
Metro Community Health Center	1789 S Braddock Ave, Suite 395	(412) 247-2310 · Website

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

Other cities in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Pittsburgh practices are behind these figures?

Between 102 and 144 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Pittsburgh figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Pittsburgh dentist charge me these amounts?

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