Dental costs in Chattanooga, TN: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

Tennessee

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 Chattanooga

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	$3,897 – $4,464	$4,014	18	$4,014 – $4,945
Full braces, teenager	$3,645 – $4,000	$3,809	17	$3,809 – $4,696
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,248 – $1,600	$1,378	27	$1,378 – $2,018
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$795 – $1,075	$1,000	27	$1,000 – $1,125
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$790 – $1,067	$988	28	$988 – $1,131
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$828 – $1,253	$982	29	$982 – $1,607
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$832 – $1,063	$918	28	$918 – $1,457
Full upper denture	$760 – $934	$840	28	$840 – $1,054
Full lower denture	$720 – $892	$812	26	$812 – $1,054
All-ceramic crown	$740 – $900	$796	28	$796 – $926
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$669 – $804	$742	26	$742 – $848
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$615 – $804	$737	30	$737 – $818
Root canal, molar	$647 – $807	$732	26	$732 – $836
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$645 – $750	$711	25	$711 – $775
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$645 – $780	$710	30	$710 – $833
Root canal, premolar	$485 – $651	$601	25	$601 – $698
Root canal, front tooth	$420 – $586	$510	25	$510 – $588
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$277 – $333	$312	26	$312 – $353
Hard night guard for grinding	$256 – $342	$304	28	$304 – $376
Bone graft at an implant site	$246 – $356	$293	26	$293 – $398
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$223 – $277	$262	26	$262 – $319
Surgical tooth extraction	$146 – $191	$171	27	$171 – $218
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$130 – $189	$163	27	$163 – $211
Core build-up under a crown	$136 – $180	$158	29	$158 – $209
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$124 – $163	$145	25	$145 – $175
White filling, back tooth	$108 – $128	$116	24	$116 – $132
Silver filling, two surfaces	$91 – $115	$101	27	$101 – $121
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$84 – $120	$101	26	$101 – $126
White filling, front tooth	$91 – $108	$100	24	$100 – $126
Simple tooth extraction	$90 – $122	$100	27	$100 – $133
Full-mouth X-ray series	$83 – $101	$94	24	$94 – $106
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$79 – $97	$90	27	$90 – $106
Silver filling, one surface	$75 – $95	$84	28	$84 – $102
Emergency visit for dental pain	$57 – $71	$66	27	$66 – $83
Adult teeth cleaning	$56 – $70	$62	23	$62 – $78
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$50 – $59	$54	25	$54 – $72
Child teeth cleaning	$42 – $51	$47	24	$47 – $53
Four bitewing X-rays	$38 – $46	$43	24	$43 – $47
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$31 – $38	$34	27	$34 – $41
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$30 – $38	$33	23	$33 – $40
Fluoride varnish treatment	$25 – $32	$27	23	$27 – $36

Chattanooga compared with Tennessee

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Chattanooga and Tennessee as a whole, 1 run above the state median and 40 below. The largest local saving is on Full lower denture: $812 here against $892 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Chattanooga

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 $567. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $2,256.

Observed negotiated prices in Chattanooga, TN. 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	$3,897	$4,464	$567	18
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$828	$1,253	$425	29
Full braces, teenager	$3,645	$4,000	$355	17
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,248	$1,600	$352	27
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$795	$1,075	$280	27
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$790	$1,067	$277	28

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 Chattanooga

These are federally funded health centres in Chattanooga. 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 Chattanooga. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Behavioral Health Services	1000 E 3rd St STE 103	(423) 265-2273 · Website
CHS Chattanooga	5600 Brainerd Rd STE A4	(423) 266-4588
Cempa Community Care Clinic	1000 E 3rd St, Suite 300	(423) 265-2273 · Website
Cempa Dental Clinic	1042 E 3rd St STE 100	(423) 203-1568
Chattanooga Hamilton County Health Department	921 E 3rd St	(423) 209-8100 · Website
Dodson Avenue Comm Health Center	1200 Dodson Ave	(423) 778-2800 · Website
Erlanger Community Health Center - St.Elmo	3800 Tennessee Ave	(423) 778-2700 · Website
Erlanger Community Health Center School Based	100 E 25th St	—
Erlanger Premier Healthcare Center	251 N Lyerly St, Ste 300	(423) 778-2700 · Website
Homeless Health Care Center	730 E 11th St	(423) 265-5708 · Website

Tennessee has 236 such sites statewide — see the Tennessee page.

Other cities in Tennessee

Knoxville Nashville Memphis Hermitage Maryville Goodlettsville Franklin Murfreesboro Smyrna Hendersonville Johnson City Clarksville Cordova Bartlett Arlington Dickson

Tennessee overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Chattanooga practices are behind these figures?

Between 17 and 30 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Chattanooga figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Chattanooga dentist charge me these amounts?

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