How much does a child's teeth cleaning cost?

The typical child teeth cleaning cost is $50 (the median negotiated price), with the middle half of practices charging $44 to $56.

Child teeth cleaning. A cleaning sized and timed for a child, covering baby teeth and newly erupted permanent ones.

Median negotiated

$50

observed midpoint

Middle half

$44 – $56

25th to 75th percentile

Practices

24,553

in the sample

Est. self-pay

$50 – $61

estimate, not observed

Child teeth cleaning cost nationally

Prices cluster fairly tightly, from $44 to $56 across the middle half of the market, so shopping around saves less here than on larger treatments.

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.

What it covers

A cleaning sized and timed for a child, covering baby teeth and newly erupted permanent ones.

What moves the price

Little variation; paediatric practices sometimes price slightly higher for the longer, gentler appointment.

Normally included

Cleaning and polishing.

Usually billed separately

Fluoride varnish and sealants, which are separate and often recommended at the same visit.

How plans treat it

Well covered on both private plans and children's public programmes.

Child teeth cleaning cost by state

Each bar is one state's observed distribution: the block is the middle half of the market, the vertical rule is the median, and the line reaching right runs out to the 90th percentile. The dashed line is the national median, so you can see at a glance which states sit above or below it.

Child teeth cleaning: observed negotiated price by state

Middle half (25th–75th)MedianNational median

The same figures as a table, lowest median first. Only states with at least 15 practices are listed.

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.
State	Negotiated range Observed	Median	Practices (n)	Est. self-pay Estimated
Iowa	$40 – $51	$44	217	$44 – $56
Delaware	$41 – $55	$44	47	$44 – $60
District of Columbia	$37 – $50	$45	129	$45 – $57
Arkansas	$43 – $49	$46	188	$46 – $56
Indiana	$43 – $53	$46	416	$46 – $58
North Dakota	$42 – $56	$46	27	$46 – $57
Pennsylvania	$41 – $54	$47	1,302	$47 – $59
Alabama	$40 – $53	$47	285	$47 – $60
New Mexico	$40 – $52	$47	152	$47 – $61
Louisiana	$41 – $55	$47	302	$47 – $60
Colorado	$44 – $55	$47	584	$47 – $59
Maryland	$44 – $55	$48	545	$48 – $61
Ohio	$43 – $56	$48	825	$48 – $62
Massachusetts	$44 – $54	$48	764	$48 – $60
Michigan	$44 – $55	$48	570	$48 – $58
South Carolina	$44 – $54	$48	290	$48 – $59
West Virginia	$46 – $54	$48	163	$48 – $60
New Jersey	$42 – $56	$49	894	$49 – $61
Missouri	$43 – $55	$49	486	$49 – $60
Tennessee	$43 – $54	$49	516	$49 – $58
Nebraska	$43 – $56	$49	177	$49 – $59
Virginia	$43 – $55	$49	712	$49 – $59
Oregon	$44 – $55	$49	269	$49 – $62
Mississippi	$43 – $57	$49	193	$49 – $61
Texas	$44 – $56	$50	2,089	$50 – $60
Illinois	$44 – $56	$50	950	$50 – $61
Oklahoma	$44 – $56	$50	295	$50 – $59
Utah	$42 – $56	$50	317	$50 – $60
Georgia	$44 – $56	$50	666	$50 – $62
Idaho	$44 – $54	$50	141	$50 – $59
New York	$44 – $55	$50	1,661	$50 – $62
Nevada	$44 – $56	$50	279	$50 – $62
Connecticut	$45 – $57	$50	337	$50 – $62
Kentucky	$43 – $57	$50	416	$50 – $62
Florida	$44 – $55	$51	1,557	$51 – $60
Arizona	$45 – $56	$51	563	$51 – $61
Kansas	$46 – $56	$51	229	$51 – $62
Hawaii	$44 – $54	$51	54	$51 – $61
Vermont	$48 – $54	$51	18	$51 – $60
California	$46 – $58	$52	2,598	$52 – $64
North Carolina	$48 – $57	$52	708	$52 – $62
Washington	$45 – $56	$52	611	$52 – $60
Wyoming	$46 – $54	$52	27	$52 – $56
Montana	$47 – $59	$52	59	$52 – $66
Wisconsin	$46 – $58	$53	338	$53 – $62
Rhode Island	$45 – $58	$53	56	$53 – $64
Minnesota	$48 – $60	$54	290	$54 – $62
New Hampshire	$46 – $60	$54	57	$54 – $65
South Dakota	$48 – $56	$55	37	$55 – $59
Puerto Rico	$50 – $58	$56	29	$56 – $59
Maine	$51 – $62	$57	49	$57 – $71
Alaska	$49 – $65	$62	40	$62 – $70

Related treatments

Routine check-up (returning patient)Comprehensive exam (new patient)Full-mouth X-ray series Four bitewing X-rays Adult teeth cleaning Fluoride varnish treatment Dental sealant (per tooth)

Check-ups, cleanings & X-rays guide · All treatments · How this was measured

Common questions

What should I ask the practice before agreeing?

Which preventive extras are you recommending today, and what does each one add?

Is this the price I will pay without insurance?

No. The $44 to $56 range above is what dental plans have negotiated with contracted practices. If you are uninsured you will generally be quoted at or above the top of that range. We show an estimated self-pay range, clearly marked as an estimate, because we do not observe cash prices — see the methodology.

What is not included in this price?

Fluoride varnish and sealants, which are separate and often recommended at the same visit.

How do dental plans usually treat this?

Well covered on both private plans and children's public programmes.

How many practices is this based on?

This national figure comes from 24,553 separate dental practices. Each practice contributes one observation, which is the median of every rate it holds for this treatment.