How much does a dental check-up cost?

The typical dental check-up cost is $36 (the median negotiated price), with the middle half of practices charging $31 to $41.

Routine check-up (returning patient). A short check-up for a patient the practice already has on file: the dentist looks for decay, gum changes and anything new since the last visit.

Median negotiated

$36

observed midpoint

Middle half

$31 – $41

25th to 75th percentile

Practices

23,692

in the sample

Est. self-pay

$36 – $46

estimate, not observed

Dental check-up cost nationally

Prices cluster fairly tightly, from $31 to $41 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 short check-up for a patient the practice already has on file: the dentist looks for decay, gum changes and anything new since the last visit.

What moves the price

Very little. This is a short appointment with no laboratory work, so fees cluster tightly.

Normally included

The examination and the dentist's assessment.

Usually billed separately

X-rays and the cleaning. Both are separate codes and together they usually cost more than the exam.

How plans treat it

Routinely covered at or near 100%, commonly twice a year.

Dental check-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.

Routine check-up (returning patient): 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
Alabama	$28 – $39	$32	280	$32 – $44
Iowa	$28 – $38	$32	204	$32 – $41
Louisiana	$27 – $38	$32	302	$32 – $44
Arkansas	$30 – $36	$33	192	$33 – $40
Indiana	$30 – $37	$33	406	$33 – $44
Colorado	$31 – $40	$33	569	$33 – $46
District of Columbia	$29 – $38	$33	108	$33 – $43
Pennsylvania	$29 – $40	$34	1,158	$34 – $44
New Jersey	$29 – $41	$34	852	$34 – $46
Massachusetts	$30 – $40	$34	726	$34 – $45
Missouri	$31 – $40	$34	444	$34 – $45
New Mexico	$29 – $39	$34	147	$34 – $47
Nebraska	$30 – $39	$34	180	$34 – $44
Oregon	$31 – $43	$34	252	$34 – $48
Mississippi	$29 – $40	$34	196	$34 – $44
Utah	$30 – $39	$35	287	$35 – $44
Ohio	$30 – $40	$35	790	$35 – $46
Idaho	$32 – $41	$35	143	$35 – $44
New York	$30 – $40	$35	1,473	$35 – $46
Tennessee	$30 – $40	$35	515	$35 – $43
Kentucky	$30 – $42	$35	411	$35 – $44
Virginia	$31 – $40	$35	660	$35 – $45
South Carolina	$31 – $40	$35	289	$35 – $43
West Virginia	$31 – $40	$35	156	$35 – $43
North Dakota	$32 – $42	$35	27	$35 – $43
Maryland	$31 – $42	$36	509	$36 – $47
Texas	$31 – $42	$36	2,096	$36 – $48
Illinois	$31 – $42	$36	950	$36 – $47
Oklahoma	$30 – $41	$36	307	$36 – $44
Florida	$29 – $41	$36	1,460	$36 – $46
Georgia	$31 – $41	$36	657	$36 – $46
Nevada	$31 – $42	$36	267	$36 – $48
Arizona	$31 – $42	$36	596	$36 – $49
Hawaii	$32 – $44	$36	54	$36 – $47
Vermont	$31 – $43	$36	17	$36 – $46
Kansas	$32 – $42	$37	221	$37 – $46
South Dakota	$34 – $40	$37	35	$37 – $45
California	$32 – $43	$38	2,540	$38 – $49
Washington	$32 – $43	$38	591	$38 – $46
Michigan	$31 – $43	$38	588	$38 – $48
Connecticut	$31 – $44	$38	336	$38 – $48
Rhode Island	$33 – $43	$38	52	$38 – $47
Montana	$35 – $48	$38	58	$38 – $51
Delaware	$31 – $45	$38	47	$38 – $47
North Carolina	$34 – $42	$39	691	$39 – $47
Minnesota	$36 – $45	$39	281	$39 – $48
New Hampshire	$32 – $44	$39	61	$39 – $49
Puerto Rico	$37 – $41	$39	27	$39 – $51
Wisconsin	$32 – $43	$40	339	$40 – $47
Wyoming	$33 – $44	$40	27	$40 – $46
Maine	$37 – $44	$41	52	$41 – $50
Alaska	$33 – $51	$43	38	$43 – $53

Related treatments

Comprehensive exam (new patient)Full-mouth X-ray series Four bitewing X-rays Adult teeth cleaning Child 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?

Does the visit price you quoted include X-rays and a cleaning, or only the exam?

Is this the price I will pay without insurance?

No. The $31 to $41 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?

X-rays and the cleaning. Both are separate codes and together they usually cost more than the exam.

How do dental plans usually treat this?

Routinely covered at or near 100%, commonly twice a year.

How many practices is this based on?

This national figure comes from 23,692 separate dental practices. Each practice contributes one observation, which is the median of every rate it holds for this treatment.