Dental costs in Tacoma, WA: local dentist prices

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

Treatments priced

in this city

Largest sample

practices

State

Washington

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 Tacoma

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	$3,889 – $4,966	$4,639	17	$4,639 – $5,240
Full braces, teenager	$3,800 – $4,889	$4,509	17	$4,509 – $5,137
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,290 – $1,532	$1,486	21	$1,486 – $1,553
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$950 – $1,152	$1,036	21	$1,036 – $1,254
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$950 – $1,142	$1,036	21	$1,036 – $1,191
Full upper denture	$860 – $1,021	$978	21	$978 – $1,112
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$684 – $1,126	$968	17	$968 – $1,231
Full lower denture	$893 – $1,005	$956	20	$956 – $1,147
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$726 – $988	$885	19	$885 – $1,186
All-ceramic crown	$711 – $892	$790	21	$790 – $1,004
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$674 – $840	$786	21	$786 – $951
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$725 – $817	$772	21	$772 – $923
Root canal, molar	$690 – $808	$766	20	$766 – $835
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$624 – $765	$726	19	$726 – $787
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$573 – $765	$629	20	$629 – $858
Root canal, premolar	$529 – $642	$602	20	$602 – $697
Root canal, front tooth	$437 – $555	$508	20	$508 – $594
Hard night guard for grinding	$328 – $385	$334	16	$334 – $400
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$300 – $361	$310	20	$310 – $380
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$279 – $303	$291	20	$291 – $326
Bone graft at an implant site	$223 – $398	$282	22	$282 – $477
Surgical tooth extraction	$165 – $209	$194	21	$194 – $240
Core build-up under a crown	$144 – $188	$174	20	$174 – $221
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$145 – $179	$160	22	$160 – $213
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$129 – $173	$157	20	$157 – $199
White filling, back tooth	$97 – $131	$119	20	$119 – $153
White filling, front tooth	$86 – $119	$112	21	$112 – $121
Simple tooth extraction	$86 – $115	$105	20	$105 – $130
Silver filling, two surfaces	$90 – $126	$100	21	$100 – $140
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$83 – $111	$94	20	$94 – $122
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$80 – $116	$94	22	$94 – $129
Full-mouth X-ray series	$85 – $98	$92	20	$92 – $118
Silver filling, one surface	$70 – $102	$81	20	$81 – $111
Adult teeth cleaning	$61 – $74	$64	20	$64 – $81
Emergency visit for dental pain	$54 – $82	$62	20	$62 – $115
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$47 – $57	$51	20	$51 – $60
Child teeth cleaning	$44 – $54	$46	21	$46 – $60
Four bitewing X-rays	$39 – $48	$42	19	$42 – $51
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $40	$35	19	$35 – $43
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$31 – $39	$34	21	$34 – $49
Fluoride varnish treatment	$25 – $33	$30	20	$30 – $37

Tacoma compared with Washington

Across the 41 treatments we can price in both Tacoma and Washington as a whole, 0 run above the state median and 41 below. The largest local saving is on Emergency visit for dental pain: $62 here against $80 statewide.

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

What shopping around is worth in Tacoma

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 $1,089. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,314.

Observed negotiated prices in Tacoma, WA. 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	$3,800	$4,889	$1,089	17
Full braces, adult	$3,889	$4,966	$1,077	17
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$684	$1,126	$442	17
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$726	$988	$262	19
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,290	$1,532	$242	21
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$950	$1,152	$202	21

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 Tacoma

These are federally funded health centres in Tacoma. 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 Tacoma. Source: HRSA.
Health centre	Address	Contact
Hilltop Regional Health Center	1202 Martin Luther King Jr Way	(253) 597-3813
Kimi & George Tanbara, MD Health Center	1708 E 44th St	(253) 471-4553
Mobile Site - Stability Clinic	1148 Broadway, Suite 100	(253) 722-2161
Parkland Clinic	11225 Pacific Ave S	(253) 536-2020 · Website
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma 1215 S. 11th St.	1215 S 11th St	(253) 280-9840
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma 1307 S. 11th St.	1307 S 11th St	(206) 763-5277
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma Lincoln High School	701 S 37th St	(253) 240-2160
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S 14th St	702 S 14th St	(253) 593-2144
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S. 11th St.	1516 S 11th St	(253) 396-1634 · Website
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S. 19th St.	2121 S 19th St	(253) 396-1634
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S. Cedar St.	3712 S Cedar St	(253) 682-2860 · Website
Sea Mar CHC - Tacoma S. Cushman Ave.	1112 S Cushman Ave	(253) 593-2144 · Website

Washington has 453 such sites statewide — see the Washington page.

Other cities in Washington

Kirkland Seattle Puyallup Vancouver Issaquah Yakima Kennewick Federal Way Spokane Spokane Valley Everett Bellevue Lynnwood Bothell Renton Redmond Richland Olympia Union Gap Pasco Wenatchee Longview

Washington overview · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

How many Tacoma practices are behind these figures?

Between 16 and 22 depending on the treatment, shown per row above. A Tacoma figure is published only when at least 8 separate practices in the city carried a negotiated rate for it.

Will a Tacoma dentist charge me these amounts?

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