Dental costs in North Carolina: how much a dentist costs

Observed negotiated prices across 41 treatments from 708 located dental practices in North Carolina.

Treatments priced

at or above threshold

Cities published

in this state

Largest sample

708

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 North Carolina

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	$4,117 – $5,033	$4,630	547	$4,630 – $5,540
Full braces, teenager	$4,023 – $4,858	$4,444	539	$4,444 – $5,598
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,420 – $1,861	$1,625	653	$1,625 – $2,045
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$911 – $1,252	$1,100	684	$1,100 – $1,379
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$904 – $1,264	$1,090	680	$1,090 – $1,380
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$924 – $1,183	$1,082	648	$1,082 – $1,337
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$895 – $1,158	$1,030	638	$1,030 – $1,245
Full upper denture	$790 – $1,173	$998	700	$998 – $1,307
Full lower denture	$784 – $1,158	$992	681	$992 – $1,279
All-ceramic crown	$764 – $951	$886	691	$886 – $1,039
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$741 – $904	$843	699	$843 – $1,012
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$696 – $980	$808	678	$808 – $1,145
Root canal, molar	$704 – $904	$806	679	$806 – $1,052
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$665 – $917	$804	676	$804 – $1,042
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$656 – $875	$778	691	$778 – $949
Root canal, premolar	$587 – $732	$660	687	$660 – $825
Root canal, front tooth	$485 – $633	$567	679	$567 – $723
Hard night guard for grinding	$297 – $386	$352	640	$352 – $430
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$294 – $398	$335	686	$335 – $442
Bone graft at an implant site	$261 – $416	$317	636	$317 – $468
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$247 – $336	$289	705	$289 – $381
Surgical tooth extraction	$176 – $225	$208	668	$208 – $257
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$155 – $204	$184	702	$184 – $220
Core build-up under a crown	$143 – $205	$183	702	$183 – $231
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$137 – $183	$164	696	$164 – $205
White filling, back tooth	$105 – $144	$128	690	$128 – $162
Simple tooth extraction	$98 – $134	$119	693	$119 – $152
Silver filling, two surfaces	$97 – $139	$116	704	$116 – $160
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$91 – $134	$114	707	$114 – $153
White filling, front tooth	$95 – $129	$112	696	$112 – $142
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$93 – $116	$104	694	$104 – $132
Full-mouth X-ray series	$92 – $108	$102	679	$102 – $121
Silver filling, one surface	$79 – $110	$92	696	$92 – $125
Adult teeth cleaning	$64 – $76	$72	695	$72 – $85
Emergency visit for dental pain	$60 – $88	$72	701	$72 – $104
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$54 – $69	$62	700	$62 – $76
Child teeth cleaning	$48 – $57	$52	708	$52 – $62
Four bitewing X-rays	$43 – $52	$49	695	$49 – $56
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$34 – $42	$39	691	$39 – $47
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$34 – $43	$38	706	$38 – $46
Fluoride varnish treatment	$28 – $37	$32	666	$32 – $39

How North Carolina compares nationally

Of the 41 treatments we can price in North Carolina, 40 sit above the national median and 1 below. The widest gap downward is Bone graft at an implant site at $317 against a national $317 (0% lower); the widest upward is Fluoride varnish treatment at $32 against $29 (10% higher).

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

What shopping around is worth in North Carolina

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 $916. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $3,309.

Observed negotiated prices in North Carolina. 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	$4,117	$5,033	$916	547
Full braces, teenager	$4,023	$4,858	$835	539
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,420	$1,861	$441	653
Full upper denture	$790	$1,173	$383	700
Full lower denture	$784	$1,158	$374	681
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$904	$1,264	$360	680

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 North Carolina

North Carolina has 778 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 North Carolina

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 North Carolina without insurance?

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

Sample sizes are shown per treatment in the table above and range from 539 to 708 practices. We publish nothing below 15.

Why is a treatment missing from this page?

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