Dental costs in Charleston, SC: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

South 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 Charleston

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	$4,056 – $5,071	$4,498	29	$4,498 – $5,480
Full braces, teenager	$3,867 – $4,498	$4,275	29	$4,275 – $5,282
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,368 – $1,640	$1,455	31	$1,455 – $1,797
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$960 – $1,220	$1,098	31	$1,098 – $1,318
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$934 – $1,207	$1,098	31	$1,098 – $1,296
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$945 – $1,119	$1,030	30	$1,030 – $1,171
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$860 – $1,111	$966	30	$966 – $1,241
Full upper denture	$840 – $1,120	$961	32	$961 – $1,170
Full lower denture	$784 – $1,035	$930	31	$930 – $1,152
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$780 – $921	$858	32	$858 – $987
Root canal, molar	$730 – $916	$827	32	$827 – $985
All-ceramic crown	$722 – $928	$810	30	$810 – $997
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$687 – $873	$782	31	$782 – $913
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$612 – $831	$764	30	$764 – $923
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$661 – $896	$715	30	$715 – $993
Root canal, premolar	$572 – $714	$618	31	$618 – $765
Root canal, front tooth	$485 – $622	$558	31	$558 – $664
Hard night guard for grinding	$302 – $408	$344	30	$344 – $436
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$296 – $396	$339	30	$339 – $425
Bone graft at an implant site	$294 – $362	$298	28	$298 – $423
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$260 – $327	$287	31	$287 – $374
Surgical tooth extraction	$171 – $230	$207	31	$207 – $248
Core build-up under a crown	$167 – $197	$180	31	$180 – $220
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$164 – $199	$180	31	$180 – $216
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$138 – $176	$148	31	$148 – $193
Simple tooth extraction	$96 – $135	$122	30	$122 – $153
White filling, front tooth	$97 – $129	$115	32	$115 – $137
White filling, back tooth	$104 – $136	$114	32	$114 – $151
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$103 – $137	$109	29	$109 – $147
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$90 – $124	$105	31	$105 – $131
Silver filling, two surfaces	$95 – $128	$102	32	$102 – $130
Full-mouth X-ray series	$92 – $110	$98	31	$98 – $118
Silver filling, one surface	$75 – $100	$86	31	$86 – $111
Emergency visit for dental pain	$63 – $86	$74	30	$74 – $95
Adult teeth cleaning	$61 – $76	$68	31	$68 – $83
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$51 – $69	$60	30	$60 – $70
Four bitewing X-rays	$44 – $51	$49	29	$49 – $53
Child teeth cleaning	$44 – $56	$48	32	$48 – $59
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$35 – $40	$37	30	$37 – $42
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$32 – $40	$36	31	$36 – $42
Fluoride varnish treatment	$29 – $36	$34	29	$34 – $36

Charleston compared with South Carolina

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Charleston and South Carolina as a whole, 29 run above the state median and 12 below. The largest local saving is on Porcelain veneer (per tooth): $715 here against $758 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Charleston

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 $2,731.

Observed negotiated prices in Charleston, SC. 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	$4,056	$5,071	$1,015	29
Full braces, teenager	$3,867	$4,498	$631	29
Full upper denture	$840	$1,120	$280	32
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$934	$1,207	$273	31
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,368	$1,640	$272	31
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$960	$1,220	$260	31

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 Charleston

These are federally funded health centres in Charleston. 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 Charleston. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center	2100 Charlie Hall Blvd	(843) 852-4100 · Website
Charleston Family Health Center	51 Nassau St	(843) 722-4112 · Website
Fetter Mobile Dental Unit	51 Nassau St	(843) 723-9582 · Website
Fetter Mobile Dental Unit 2	51 Nassau St	(843) 722-4112
Fetter Mobile Medical Unit 1	51 Nassau St	(843) 722-4112 · Website
Fetter Mobile Medical Unit 2	51 Nassau St	(843) 722-4112 · Website
Fetter Mobile Medical Unit 3	51 Nassau St	(843) 722-4112 · Website
Mughelli-Oyibokja Wellness Center for Women	1843 Ashley River Rd	(843) 769-4424 · Website
One80 Place	35 Walnut St	(843) 723-9477 · Website

South Carolina has 312 such sites statewide — see the South Carolina page.

Other cities in South Carolina

Beaufort Columbia Summerville Greenville Rock Hill North Charleston Fort Mill Anderson Indian Land

South Carolina overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Charleston practices are behind these figures?

Between 28 and 32 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Charleston figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Charleston dentist charge me these amounts?

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