How Much Does Dental Work Cost? – Forbes Advisor

Going to the dentist isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s getting costlier.

Between 1996 and 2015, the cost of dental care for a single person rose 23% when adjusted for inflation, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report. Inflation has led to even higher dental costs over the past year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index says dental costs increased by 5.4% between October 2021 and October 2022.

Here’s how much dental work costs—and how to pay for it.

Average Cost of Common Dental Procedures

There are many different types of dental work that can be performed, ranging from routine care to major medical procedures. We asked Steve Seigel, co-founder at Flossy, a pay-as-you-go dental discount company, to help us narrow down the most common procedures.

Here are the average costs for the most common procedures, according to analysis by the American Dental Association.

Average dental costs

How to Pay for Dental Work With Dental Insurance

Going through insurance can help reduce dental care costs. Dental insurance can save you thousands of dollars a year, depending on the policy and type of dental work.

How does dental insurance work?

Most medical plans don’t include dental work, so dental insurance is sold separately. Dental insurance works similarly to health insurance (though it’s usually much less expensive). You pay a premium in exchange for a certain amount of coverage.

Components of dental insurance costs include:

• Deductible: Your deductible, which is typically annual, is the amount of money you pay before your insurance pays for dental services. For instance, if you have a $50 dental insurance deductible, the company will pay a dental claim minus that $50 amount. That means the insurer will pay $250 for a $300 dental bill.
• Annual maximum: The annual maximum is the most your dental insurance policy will pay in a year for services. This could be $1,000, $2,000 or a different amount. Some policies have annual and lifetime maximum amounts for certain dental services, such as braces. Once you reach your maximum, you pay for the rest of the covered dental services.
• Copay: This is a fixed amount you pay at the time of treatment.
• Coinsurance: Once your deductible has been met, you’re responsible for paying a fixed percentage of the total amount charged for a service covered by insurance. The exact percentage depends on the policy and type of dental work. For instance, dental plans often cover 100% of preventive care costs, 80% of basic care like fillings and 50% of major care like crowns. You pick up the rest of the costs.

What dental insurance covers

Dental insurance doesn’t typically cover all costs and some procedures may not be covered….