Cosmetic Dentistry Cost
We believe this is the only published survey of the
cost of cosmetic dentistry from expert cosmetic dentists. We have seen
other cosmetic dentistry cost information published on the Internet, but
we seriously question the validity of the data from these other sites, as
it is not from reliable sources. Some other sites are smart and are
quoting our cost data.
This fee survey was conducted among expert cosmetic
dentists from coast to coast in the continental United States in December
2005. Please
scroll down the page for important general information about costs. We
warn you about price-shopping for cosmetic dentistry, because you're
inviting real trouble if you do that. This information is provided in
order to help you budget, not to help you find the cheapest cosmetic
dentistry.
Two other warnings need to be made. First, if your
dentist's fees are considerably lower than these ranges, I would seriously
question the cosmetic dentistry expertise of your dentist. It is extremely
difficult for a dentist to provide beautiful cosmetic dentistry for fees
that are much lower than those posted here. Second, don't assume that
because your dentist's fees are within or higher than this range that the work is high
quality. We know of ugly and incompetent cosmetic dentistry where very
high fees were charged.
The cost of cosmetic dentistry from our actual data:
 | The cost of porcelain veneers varies from $975 per
veneer up to $2200 per veneer, depending on the area of the country. We
did not find any fees lower than that range charged by any expert
cosmetic dentist. We have a lot more information on this site that you
can read about porcelain veneers. |
| The cost of
all-porcelain crowns is about the same
as the cost of porcelain veneers in most expert cosmetic dentistry offices
and varies from $950 per crown up to $2200. |
| The cost of white fillings for back teeth is
charged according to the number of surfaces covered by the fillings. For
a one-surface filling, fees range from $150 to $250. For two surfaces,
the cost is $200 to $400. For three surfaces, expect to pay from $250 to
$500. Click here to read more about
white fillings and why they cost more than silver
amalgam fillings.
You can also read more about the costs of white fillings. |
| The cost for bonding a front tooth, when that
bonding involves one of the corners of the tooth, will vary from $300 to
$1600. The reason for the great variety in costs is that, even among
expert cosmetic dentists there is a great variety in the level of skill
and artistry as well as the time spent in these difficult restorations. |
| The cost for Invisalign invisible braces ranges from $5000 to $7700 for a complete case. Click on the link in the line above
for more information about invisible braces. |
To be a wise dental consumer, you need to understand
some basic information about cosmetic dentistry costs:
|
| First, you need to understand that as a consumer,
you are in a difficult position in that you are not legally protected
from substandard cosmetic dental care. Cosmetic dentistry, while it
requires great expertise, is not a legally distinct specialty.
Therefore, if you end up with low-quality esthetic dental work, your
legal recourse is generally only to challenge the work from a functional
perspective. Your work will be judged by the standard of quality of
general dentistry, not the standard of excellent cosmetic dentistry. So
if you choose a dentist because the fees are low, you generally have no
recourse if the work does not meet your esthetic expectations.
|
| Second, to become an
expert cosmetic dentist, a
dentist has to spend many hours away from the office in continuing
education. Not only are the course fees high, but the cost in lost time
away from the office is much higher. And the dentist generally has to
travel to remote cities to obtain this training. Naturally, the cosmetic
dentist will want to be compensated for this tremendous expense by
charging more for these procedures than a general dentist. |
|
| Third,
dental insurance plans are designed to
provide you with a basic standard of general dental care. While many
cosmetic dentistry procedures are covered by dental insurance plans,
they are only covered at a functional level. The insurance company may
help you pay for a crown to physically protect your tooth but won't pay
the extra cost required to make it beautiful. Furthermore, some dental
insurance plans maintain lists of dentists called "preferred providers"
or "network dentists" who are willing to discount their fees in order to
receive referrals from the insurance company. Don't expect any expert
cosmetic dentists to agree to these insurance company terms. |
|
| Fourth, beautiful cosmetic dentistry requires the
use of expensive materials, first-class cosmetic dental labs, and
usually extra time and effort on the part of the cosmetic dentist. All
these extra costs are factored into the fee.
|
|
Learn about how a privately purchased dental plan may help you get discount dental care.
Read Dr. Hall's blog posts about
cosmetic dentistry costs.
See porcelain
veneer pictures of work by mynewsmile.com network dentists. |
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The listings below are paid advertisements and should not be confused with the recommended dentists we list in our "find a cosmetic dentist" section:
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