Dental costs in Puerto Rico: how much a dentist costs

Observed negotiated prices across 41 treatments from 34 located dental practices in Puerto Rico.

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 Puerto Rico

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	$4,203 – $6,023	$4,582	26	$4,582 – $6,301
Full braces, teenager	$3,924 – $6,023	$4,251	24	$4,251 – $6,340
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,470 – $2,114	$2,071	24	$2,071 – $2,114
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$1,089 – $1,334	$1,307	27	$1,307 – $1,541
Partial upper denture with metal frame	$1,090 – $1,333	$1,306	27	$1,306 – $1,541
Full lower denture	$1,010 – $1,253	$1,228	27	$1,228 – $1,395
Full upper denture	$1,018 – $1,207	$1,183	29	$1,183 – $1,389
Ceramic crown on an implant abutment	$933 – $1,019	$1,009	26	$1,009 – $1,312
All-ceramic crown	$825 – $998	$957	30	$957 – $1,005
Ceramic crown attached to an implant	$911 – $1,071	$942	25	$942 – $1,514
Gum surgery (per quadrant)	$784 – $968	$939	28	$939 – $1,033
Root canal, molar	$771 – $1,050	$924	29	$924 – $1,088
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$738 – $1,018	$882	29	$882 – $1,018
Porcelain veneer (per tooth)	$747 – $885	$859	24	$859 – $1,125
Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit	$702 – $876	$858	26	$858 – $911
Root canal, premolar	$598 – $785	$703	31	$703 – $806
Root canal, front tooth	$531 – $672	$603	34	$603 – $691
Hard night guard for grinding	$307 – $456	$439	23	$439 – $461
Fully-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$308 – $408	$376	30	$376 – $409
Bone graft at an implant site	$305 – $349	$313	24	$313 – $452
Partly-impacted wisdom tooth removal	$266 – $400	$300	28	$300 – $408
Surgical tooth extraction	$181 – $248	$214	26	$214 – $248
Deep cleaning, four or more teeth per quadrant	$166 – $226	$188	28	$188 – $226
White filling, back tooth, two surfaces	$157 – $180	$176	29	$176 – $205
Core build-up under a crown	$162 – $194	$169	30	$169 – $226
Silver filling, two surfaces	$110 – $136	$133	33	$133 – $176
White filling, back tooth	$123 – $142	$130	30	$130 – $156
Simple tooth extraction	$113 – $132	$122	31	$122 – $156
White filling, front tooth	$110 – $121	$119	31	$119 – $135
Deep cleaning, one to three teeth per quadrant	$91 – $132	$110	32	$110 – $154
Ongoing gum maintenance cleaning	$91 – $126	$109	31	$109 – $130
Full-mouth X-ray series	$96 – $110	$108	27	$108 – $110
Silver filling, one surface	$85 – $111	$100	30	$100 – $112
Adult teeth cleaning	$63 – $76	$75	26	$75 – $78
Emergency visit for dental pain	$67 – $83	$71	31	$71 – $104
Comprehensive exam (new patient)	$57 – $70	$68	27	$68 – $76
Child teeth cleaning	$50 – $58	$56	29	$56 – $59
Four bitewing X-rays	$46 – $51	$47	30	$47 – $53
Dental sealant (per tooth)	$36 – $45	$44	31	$44 – $46
Routine check-up (returning patient)	$37 – $41	$39	27	$39 – $51
Fluoride varnish treatment	$30 – $34	$33	24	$33 – $36

How Puerto Rico compares nationally

Of the 41 treatments we can price in Puerto Rico, 38 sit above the national median and 3 below. The widest gap downward is Ceramic crown attached to an implant at $942 against a national $1,013 (7% lower); the widest upward is Implant post placed in the jaw at $2,071 against $1,500 (38% higher).

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

What shopping around is worth in Puerto Rico

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 $2,099. Across the 6 treatments below it comes to $5,367.

Observed negotiated prices in Puerto Rico. 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	$3,924	$6,023	$2,099	24
Full braces, adult	$4,203	$6,023	$1,820	26
Implant post placed in the jaw	$1,470	$2,114	$644	24
Porcelain-and-metal crown	$738	$1,018	$280	29
Root canal, molar	$771	$1,050	$279	29
Partial lower denture with metal frame	$1,089	$1,334	$245	27

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 Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has 160 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 Puerto Rico

City pages are published only where at least 8 practices in that city carried a rate. 0 cities met that bar.

No city in this state reaches the publication threshold yet.

Other states

All states · All treatments · Methodology

Common questions

Are these the prices I would pay in Puerto Rico without insurance?

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

Sample sizes are shown per treatment in the table above and range from 23 to 34 practices. We publish nothing below 15.

Why is a treatment missing from this page?

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