Dental costs in Alaska: how much a dentist costs

Observed negotiated prices across 41 treatments from 47 located dental practices in Alaska.

Treatments priced

at or above threshold

Cities published

in this state

Largest sample

practices, best-covered treatment

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 Alaska

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	$4,966 – $5,800	$5,310	33	$5,310 – $5,877
Full braces, teenager	$4,663 – $5,800	$5,282	35	$5,282 – $5,917
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,603 – $1,941	$1,757	42	$1,757 – $2,083
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$1,124 – $1,464	$1,366	45	$1,366 – $1,656
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$1,110 – $1,500	$1,345	46	$1,345 – $1,689
Full upper denture	$978 – $1,406	$1,285	43	$1,285 – $1,599
Full lower denture	$1,031 – $1,392	$1,255	45	$1,255 – $1,593
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$1,036 – $1,393	$1,190	45	$1,190 – $1,575
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$993 – $1,298	$1,170	43	$1,170 – $1,384
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$761 – $1,140	$1,026	45	$1,026 – $1,212
All-ceramic crown	$825 – $1,085	$952	41	$952 – $1,126
Root canal, molar	$762 – $1,064	$933	40	$933 – $1,122
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$734 – $1,033	$928	41	$928 – $1,116
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$793 – $1,006	$886	41	$886 – $1,108
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$745 – $996	$872	42	$872 – $1,094
Root canal, premolar	$587 – $878	$733	43	$733 – $916
Root canal, front tooth	$515 – $740	$639	42	$639 – $787
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$322 – $461	$398	42	$398 – $489
Hard night guard for grinding	$360 – $415	$384	42	$384 – $476
Bone graft at an implant site	$253 – $440	$379	42	$379 – $486
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$288 – $396	$336	47	$336 – $407
Surgical tooth extraction	$192 – $266	$222	40	$222 – $284
Core build-up under a crown	$144 – $230	$208	41	$208 – $248
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$170 – $236	$203	47	$203 – $267
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$144 – $218	$175	32	$175 – $230
Silver filling, two surfaces	$107 – $168	$144	34	$144 – $177
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$109 – $162	$144	43	$144 – $173
White filling, back tooth	$109 – $167	$142	38	$142 – $178
Simple tooth extraction	$112 – $157	$138	40	$138 – $165
White filling, front tooth	$96 – $152	$129	38	$129 – $160
Silver filling, one surface	$88 – $131	$110	35	$110 – $136
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$93 – $135	$110	36	$110 – $144
Full-mouth X-ray series	$90 – $125	$106	36	$106 – $132
Emergency visit for dental pain	$64 – $109	$83	38	$83 – $122
Adult teeth cleaning	$60 – $88	$74	35	$74 – $98
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$58 – $78	$72	41	$72 – $83
Child teeth cleaning	$49 – $65	$62	40	$62 – $70
Four bitewing X-rays	$41 – $60	$52	41	$52 – $62
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$33 – $51	$43	38	$43 – $53
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$35 – $48	$42	44	$42 – $51
Fluoride varnish treatment	$30 – $41	$36	43	$36 – $42

How Alaska compares nationally

Of the 41 treatments we can price in Alaska, 41 sit above the national median and 0 below. The widest gap downward is Adult teeth cleaning at $74 against a national $68 (9% lower); the widest upward is Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant at $144 against $108 (33% higher).

Comparisons use the national distribution on each treatment page, which lists every state side by side.

What shopping around is worth in Alaska

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 $1,137. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,529.

Observed negotiated prices in Alaska. 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	$4,663	$5,800	$1,137	35
Full braces, adult	$4,966	$5,800	$834	33
Full upper denture	$978	$1,406	$428	43
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$1,110	$1,500	$390	46
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$761	$1,140	$379	45
Full lower denture	$1,031	$1,392	$361	45

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 Alaska

Alaska has 215 federally funded health centre sites that charge on a sliding scale based on income. For most uninsured patients these are the cheapest option available. The federal dataset does not record which sites provide dentistry, so call and ask about dental services before travelling. City pages below list the sites in each place.

Cities in Alaska

City pages are published only where at least 8 practices in that city carried a rate. 1 city met that bar.

Anchorage (41 priced)

Other states

All states · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

Are these the prices I would pay in Alaska without insurance?

No. These are negotiated rates between dental plans and contracted practices in Alaska. Uninsured patients are generally quoted at or above the top of each range. The estimated self-pay column is labelled as an estimate for exactly that reason — see the methodology.

How many Alaska practices is this based on?

Sample sizes are shown per treatment in the table above and range from 32 to 47 practices. We publish nothing below 15.

Why is a treatment missing from this page?

Because fewer than 15 located practices in Alaska carried a negotiated rate for it in our source files. We leave it out rather than scale a national average to look local.