How much does a core build-up cost?

The typical core build-up cost is $173 (the median negotiated price), with the middle half of practices charging $142 to $200.

Core build-up under a crown. A foundation built inside a badly broken tooth so that a crown has something solid to sit on.

Median negotiated

$173

observed midpoint

Middle half

$142 – $200

25th to 75th percentile

Practices

25,517

in the sample

Est. self-pay

$173 – $225

estimate, not observed

Core build-up cost nationally

Prices cluster fairly tightly, from $142 to $200 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 foundation built inside a badly broken tooth so that a crown has something solid to sit on.

What moves the price

How much of the tooth has been lost and the material used.

Normally included

Building the core up to a shape that will hold a crown.

Usually billed separately

The crown itself, which is always a separate and much larger fee.

How plans treat it

Sometimes covered, sometimes judged part of the crown fee and denied.

Core build-up 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.

Core build-up under a crown: 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
North Dakota	$102 – $168	$125	29	$125 – $220
Alabama	$128 – $173	$145	314	$145 – $206
Michigan	$125 – $200	$154	650	$154 – $225
District of Columbia	$119 – $188	$154	126	$154 – $212
Indiana	$125 – $186	$156	447	$156 – $208
Iowa	$133 – $184	$159	217	$159 – $197
Ohio	$125 – $190	$160	902	$160 – $211
Arkansas	$140 – $176	$160	195	$160 – $192
Kentucky	$140 – $194	$160	460	$160 – $230
Nebraska	$130 – $202	$163	187	$163 – $231
Delaware	$129 – $207	$163	47	$163 – $225
Missouri	$132 – $200	$164	482	$164 – $225
Kansas	$133 – $196	$164	252	$164 – $219
Louisiana	$134 – $190	$164	338	$164 – $213
Virginia	$139 – $198	$165	706	$165 – $228
Texas	$140 – $195	$166	2,229	$166 – $222
Tennessee	$142 – $197	$166	561	$166 – $225
Oklahoma	$144 – $194	$167	328	$167 – $218
Idaho	$127 – $194	$168	144	$168 – $217
Puerto Rico	$162 – $194	$169	30	$169 – $226
Pennsylvania	$140 – $200	$170	1,339	$170 – $227
Utah	$148 – $194	$170	311	$170 – $213
New Mexico	$138 – $188	$170	153	$170 – $211
New Jersey	$142 – $205	$171	941	$171 – $227
Maryland	$128 – $201	$172	550	$172 – $235
Nevada	$142 – $194	$172	307	$172 – $218
South Dakota	$159 – $192	$172	35	$172 – $215
Mississippi	$146 – $205	$172	181	$172 – $224
Colorado	$129 – $200	$173	614	$173 – $226
West Virginia	$146 – $190	$173	148	$173 – $207
South Carolina	$143 – $198	$174	296	$174 – $222
Georgia	$138 – $200	$175	664	$175 – $222
Hawaii	$143 – $203	$175	57	$175 – $223
New York	$145 – $199	$176	1,661	$176 – $225
Florida	$139 – $200	$177	1,684	$177 – $219
Oregon	$157 – $202	$177	272	$177 – $223
Illinois	$143 – $202	$178	1,015	$178 – $227
Massachusetts	$144 – $197	$178	716	$178 – $224
Vermont	$141 – $219	$178	18	$178 – $227
Wisconsin	$141 – $208	$180	349	$180 – $226
Connecticut	$150 – $212	$181	341	$181 – $231
California	$160 – $208	$182	2,683	$182 – $227
North Carolina	$143 – $205	$183	702	$183 – $231
Arizona	$148 – $207	$184	599	$184 – $222
Minnesota	$154 – $212	$186	299	$186 – $232
Washington	$155 – $212	$188	624	$188 – $226
Wyoming	$170 – $198	$188	27	$188 – $208
Rhode Island	$152 – $213	$188	51	$188 – $239
Montana	$164 – $208	$188	61	$188 – $235
New Hampshire	$165 – $233	$191	57	$191 – $252
Maine	$177 – $230	$204	48	$204 – $247
Alaska	$144 – $230	$208	41	$208 – $248

Related treatments

All-ceramic crown Porcelain-and-metal crown Bridge, porcelain-and-metal span unit

Crowns & bridges guide · All treatments · How this was measured

Common questions

What should I ask the practice before agreeing?

Is the build-up billed separately on my plan, and is it likely to be denied?

Is this the price I will pay without insurance?

No. The $142 to $200 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?

The crown itself, which is always a separate and much larger fee.

How do dental plans usually treat this?

Sometimes covered, sometimes judged part of the crown fee and denied.

How many practices is this based on?

This national figure comes from 25,517 separate dental practices. Each practice contributes one observation, which is the median of every rate it holds for this treatment.