Dental costs in Massachusetts: how much a dentist costs

Observed negotiated prices across 41 treatments from 773 located dental practices in Massachusetts.

Treatments priced

at or above threshold

Cities published

in this state

Largest sample

773

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 Massachusetts

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, teenager	$3,705 – $4,685	$4,200	598	$4,200 – $5,282
Full braces, adult	$3,800 – $4,868	$4,200	616	$4,200 – $5,503
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,341 – $1,718	$1,515	747	$1,515 – $1,886
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$948 – $1,206	$1,075	719	$1,075 – $1,323
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$935 – $1,205	$1,066	725	$1,066 – $1,325
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$894 – $1,144	$1,009	741	$1,009 – $1,252
Full upper denture	$840 – $1,128	$1,000	760	$1,000 – $1,251
Full lower denture	$824 – $1,124	$977	765	$977 – $1,246
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$872 – $1,081	$968	759	$968 – $1,202
All-ceramic crown	$724 – $925	$841	751	$841 – $1,012
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$705 – $911	$811	740	$811 – $1,055
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$710 – $883	$802	761	$802 – $950
Root canal, molar	$708 – $896	$800	745	$800 – $994
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$657 – $860	$764	732	$764 – $969
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$644 – $835	$742	764	$742 – $907
Root canal, premolar	$546 – $710	$634	758	$634 – $795
Root canal, front tooth	$476 – $616	$549	742	$549 – $710
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$297 – $379	$338	722	$338 – $424
Hard night guard for grinding	$286 – $376	$331	687	$331 – $408
Bone graft at an implant site	$265 – $403	$306	689	$306 – $459
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$248 – $333	$289	764	$289 – $363
Surgical tooth extraction	$165 – $223	$194	734	$194 – $257
Core build-up under a crown	$144 – $197	$178	716	$178 – $224
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$152 – $198	$177	725	$177 – $219
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$132 – $174	$154	765	$154 – $191
White filling, back tooth	$102 – $135	$119	773	$119 – $150
Simple tooth extraction	$92 – $128	$114	744	$114 – $147
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$94 – $130	$112	757	$112 – $155
Silver filling, two surfaces	$96 – $127	$110	764	$110 – $141
White filling, front tooth	$94 – $121	$108	769	$108 – $134
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$83 – $109	$95	756	$95 – $120
Full-mouth X-ray series	$86 – $107	$94	702	$94 – $119
Silver filling, one surface	$78 – $102	$90	741	$90 – $113
Emergency visit for dental pain	$61 – $81	$68	745	$68 – $96
Adult teeth cleaning	$59 – $74	$66	761	$66 – $82
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$47 – $65	$55	767	$55 – $74
Child teeth cleaning	$44 – $54	$48	764	$48 – $60
Four bitewing X-rays	$40 – $50	$44	721	$44 – $56
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$33 – $41	$36	750	$36 – $46
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$30 – $40	$34	726	$34 – $45
Fluoride varnish treatment	$26 – $36	$30	734	$30 – $40

How Massachusetts compares nationally

Of the 41 treatments we can price in Massachusetts, 26 sit above the national median and 15 below. The widest gap downward is Routine check-up (returning patient) at $34 against a national $36 (6% lower); the widest upward is Gum surgery (per quadrant) at $811 against $780 (4% higher).

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

What shopping around is worth in Massachusetts

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 $1,068. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,283.

Observed negotiated prices in Massachusetts. 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	$3,800	$4,868	$1,068	616
Full braces, teenager	$3,705	$4,685	$980	598
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,341	$1,718	$377	747
Full lower denture	$824	$1,124	$300	765
Full upper denture	$840	$1,128	$288	760
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$935	$1,205	$270	725

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 Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 261 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 Massachusetts

City pages are published only where at least 8 practices in that city carried a rate. 25 cities met that bar.

Other states

All states · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

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

No. These are negotiated rates between dental plans and contracted practices in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts practices is this based on?

Sample sizes are shown per treatment in the table above and range from 598 to 773 practices. We publish nothing below 15.

Why is a treatment missing from this page?

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