Dental costs in California: how much a dentist costs
Observed negotiated prices across 41 treatments from 2,870 located dental practices in California.
Observed prices in California
| Treatment | Negotiated range Observed | Median | Spread | Practices (n) | Est. self-pay Estimated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full braces, adult | $4,502 – $5,258 | $4,786 | 2,142 | $4,786 – $5,752 | |
| Full braces, teenager | $4,331 – $5,055 | $4,625 | 2,083 | $4,625 – $5,485 | |
| Implant post placed in the jaw | $1,458 – $1,833 | $1,613 | 2,818 | $1,613 – $2,031 | |
| Partial upper denture with metal frame | $1,031 – $1,270 | $1,152 | 2,621 | $1,152 – $1,431 | |
| Partial lower denture with metal frame | $1,035 – $1,283 | $1,146 | 2,580 | $1,146 – $1,424 | |
| Full upper denture | $950 – $1,201 | $1,047 | 2,602 | $1,047 – $1,344 | |
| Ceramic crown attached to an implant | $928 – $1,171 | $1,046 | 2,513 | $1,046 – $1,328 | |
| Full lower denture | $942 – $1,177 | $1,042 | 2,605 | $1,042 – $1,316 | |
| Ceramic crown on an implant abutment | $889 – $1,120 | $1,001 | 2,501 | $1,001 – $1,245 | |
| Gum surgery (per quadrant) | $754 – $1,006 | $878 | 2,701 | $878 – $1,114 | |
| All-ceramic crown | $781 – $975 | $862 | 2,552 | $862 – $1,050 | |
| Porcelain-and-metal crown | $747 – $892 | $820 | 2,510 | $820 – $969 | |
| Root canal, molar | $743 – $938 | $812 | 2,707 | $812 – $1,040 | |
| Porcelain veneer (per tooth) | $693 – $899 | $775 | 2,418 | $775 – $982 | |
| Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit | $689 – $838 | $765 | 2,526 | $765 – $903 | |
| Root canal, premolar | $584 – $741 | $648 | 2,711 | $648 – $804 | |
| Root canal, front tooth | $488 – $637 | $549 | 2,700 | $549 – $706 | |
| Hard night guard for grinding | $328 – $409 | $374 | 2,366 | $374 – $440 | |
| Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal | $314 – $387 | $346 | 2,764 | $346 – $426 | |
| Bone graft at an implant site | $254 – $427 | $339 | 2,332 | $339 – $499 | |
| Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal | $274 – $334 | $303 | 2,782 | $303 – $361 | |
| Surgical tooth extraction | $175 – $226 | $198 | 2,870 | $198 – $255 | |
| Core build-up under a crown | $160 – $208 | $182 | 2,683 | $182 – $227 | |
| Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant | $166 – $204 | $180 | 2,734 | $180 – $229 | |
| White filling, back tooth, two surfaces | $142 – $183 | $160 | 2,700 | $160 – $204 | |
| White filling, back tooth | $109 – $142 | $126 | 2,608 | $126 – $160 | |
| Silver filling, two surfaces | $105 – $133 | $118 | 2,732 | $118 – $148 | |
| Simple tooth extraction | $99 – $132 | $114 | 2,836 | $114 – $151 | |
| White filling, front tooth | $98 – $128 | $112 | 2,702 | $112 – $142 | |
| Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant | $92 – $136 | $110 | 2,730 | $110 – $160 | |
| Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning | $96 – $120 | $105 | 2,662 | $105 – $133 | |
| Silver filling, one surface | $84 – $106 | $95 | 2,673 | $95 – $119 | |
| Full-mouth X-ray series | $85 – $108 | $94 | 2,708 | $94 – $120 | |
| Emergency visit for dental pain | $66 – $92 | $77 | 2,604 | $77 – $108 | |
| Adult teeth cleaning | $62 – $79 | $71 | 2,505 | $71 – $87 | |
| Comprehensive exam (new patient) | $50 – $68 | $60 | 2,629 | $60 – $75 | |
| Child teeth cleaning | $46 – $58 | $52 | 2,598 | $52 – $64 | |
| Four bitewing X-rays | $40 – $52 | $46 | 2,595 | $46 – $58 | |
| Dental sealant (per tooth) | $35 – $44 | $39 | 2,708 | $39 – $48 | |
| Routine check-up (returning patient) | $32 – $43 | $38 | 2,540 | $38 – $49 | |
| Fluoride varnish treatment | $28 – $37 | $32 | 2,556 | $32 – $41 |
How California compares nationally
Of the 41 treatments we can price in California, 40 sit above the national median and 1 below. The widest gap downward is Full-mouth X-ray series at $94 against a national $95 (1% lower); the widest upward is Gum surgery (per quadrant) at $878 against $780 (13% higher).
Comparisons use the national distribution on each treatment page, which lists every state side by side.
What shopping around is worth in California
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 $756. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $2,606.
| Treatment | Lower end (25th) | Upper end (75th) | Gap | Practices (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full braces, adult | $4,502 | $5,258 | $756 | 2,142 |
| Full braces, teenager | $4,331 | $5,055 | $724 | 2,083 |
| Implant post placed in the jaw | $1,458 | $1,833 | $375 | 2,818 |
| Gum surgery (per quadrant) | $754 | $1,006 | $252 | 2,701 |
| Full upper denture | $950 | $1,201 | $251 | 2,602 |
| Partial lower denture with metal frame | $1,035 | $1,283 | $248 | 2,580 |
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 California
California has 2,758 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 California
City pages are published only where at least 8 practices in that city carried a rate. 109 cities met that bar.
Other states
All states · All treatments · Methodology
Common questions
Are these the prices I would pay in California without insurance?
No. These are negotiated rates between dental plans and contracted practices in California. 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 California practices is this based on?
Sample sizes are shown per treatment in the table above and range from 2,083 to 2,870 practices. We publish nothing below 15.
Why is a treatment missing from this page?
Because fewer than 15 located practices in California carried a negotiated rate for it in our source files. We leave it out rather than scale a national average to look local.