Oral health is often overlooked until severe toothache strikes or you develop a painful gum abscess. But neglecting oral health can have severe consequences for your overall health.
Poor dental health increases the risk of systemic bacterial infection, which can cause heart disease and respiratory infections.
Contrary to popular belief, oral health is more than regular brushing and flossing. Professional teeth cleaning twice a year is critical for optimal oral care.
So how much does a teeth cleaning cost without insurance? This article looks at the different costs of dental care without insurance.
What Does A Teeth Cleaning Cost Without Insurance?
The cost of teeth cleaning depends on the type of cleaning you require.
While a basic adult teeth cleaning will cost up to $200, a periodontal deep clean can cost as much as $1800.
How Much Would It Cost With Insurance?
You must pay monthly fees to maintain your dental health insurance even if you don’t receive any dental treatments. The more comprehensive your insurance coverage, the higher your monthly premium will be.
However, in most cases, if you have dental insurance, a basic preventive teeth cleaning session will not cost you anything out of pocket.
Factors That Influence The Cost Of Teeth Cleaning
The cost of your dental cleaning session depends on several factors including whether your insurance covers the visit or if you are paying cash.
Other determinants of cost include location, the level of cleaning required, and your dental history. Below we look at each factor in more detail.
Location
The general cost of living is higher in some geographical regions than in others. Other factors, such as the cost of staff wages and rent, influence service expenses.
Premises in rural areas are generally less expensive to rent than those in major metropolitan areas. If you reside in a large city, you might research dentist offices that border the city to compare teeth cleaning service costs.
Dental History
If you have maintained routine dental cleaning visits and care, a lower-cost basic clean should be all you need. However, people who have neglected routine dental care may have severe gum disease and plaque buildup.
Patients with current oral issues may require debridement – an advanced cleaning procedure.
Type Of Cleaning
The type of teeth cleaning you need will also impact the cost. Here are the different types and how much they generally cost:
ADULT (PROPHYLAXIS) TEETH CLEANING
Dental prophylaxis is a cleaning procedure to help prevent the build-up of plaque and the resulting periodontal and gum disease.
Dental insurance will usually cover the cost of adult teeth cleaning in full. Without insurance, this type of cleaning will cost you up to $200.
Adult teeth cleaning is recommended every six months and helps keep the oral cavity healthy.
Prophylactic cleaning can take place during a regular dental visit. The treatment removes plaque and debris that cannot be removed by regular brushing and flossing at home.
PERIODONTAL DEEP CLEANING
Dental deep cleaning is also known as scaling and root planing. It is usually used for patients with first-stage gum disease or more advanced periodontal disease.
Deep cleaning involves scaling (removing the plaque from your teeth) using a manual dental scaler to scrape the plaque or an ultrasonic vibrating metal tip. Teeth are treated above and below your gum line.
Root planing is smoothing the tooth root to make it harder for bacteria to stick to them in the future.
Scaling and planing can be uncomfortable and typically requires a local anesthetic.
The cost of this cleaning with insurance will be influenced by how much your individual insurance covers. Your out-of-pocket payment may be as low as 400$.
Without insurance, a periodontal deep clean can cost up to $1,800
PERIODONTAL MAINTENANCE
Periodontal maintenance is a treatment to prevent periodontal disease from worsening. A maintenance treatment is similar but deeper than a dental cleaning, where plaque is removed from the teeth. Cleaning targets periodontal pockets that can fill with disease-causing bacteria.
Periodontal maintenance treatments are for patients already diagnosed with periodontal disease and have had periodontal root planing and scaling. Maintenance treatment is recommended every three to four months.
The cost of periodontal maintenance can vary with insurance. Without insurance, you can expect to pay up to $300.
How Often Should You Get A Teeth Cleaning?
Although The American Dental Association recommends at least one teeth cleaning per year, individuals without existing periodontal disease should aim to have dental cleanings twice a year.
No matter how diligent your teeth cleaning routine is at home, some plaque build-up is unavoidable. Only a professional with advanced tools and techniques is able to remove hardened plaque from your teeth.
Regular professional teeth cleaning is a crucial aspect of your preventative dental care. Bi-annual cleaning helps prevent complex oral problems like halitosis and periodontitis.
You will need more frequent cleaning if you have already developed periodontal disease. Periodontal maintenance required quarterly dentist visits for cleaning. Likewise, more frequent cleaning is recommended if you have a preexisting health condition like diabetes.
What Does A Teeth Cleaning Include?
Professional cleaning targets stains, resistant plaque, and tartar resistant to home brushing. Routine adult teeth cleaning is painless, non-invasive, and usually takes no more than thirty minutes, depending on the amount of plaque buildup.
The hygienist cleans and polishes your teeth, using a scaler to remove plaque and tartar between your teeth and around your gum line.
After removing the plaque, your dentist or hygienist will clean your teeth with a high-powered electric brush using an abrasive paste. The paste has a granular consistency that scrubs, deep cleans, and polishes your teeth.
Flossing is an integral part of cleaning. Even if you floss regularly at home, professional flossing can access hard-to-reach spots and remove any remaining plaque and debris from the scraping.
The last step of the cleaning entails fluoride treatment. Not all dental practices include fluoride treatment. Discuss the process with your dentist before booking, so you know what to expect.
When your teeth are clean, your dentist will examine your mouth to look for areas of tooth decay and check your gums for any deep pockets, redness, and inflammation. Your dentist will also check the soft tissue in your mouth and palate to ensure there are no abnormalities or signs of oral cancer.
A typical teeth cleaning session lasts between thirty minutes and one hour.
The Importance Of Regular Teeth Cleaning
Regular teeth cleaning is an integral part of your overall healthcare. Here are some of the reasons why it’s important:
- Mouth examination. At a teeth cleaning session, your dental care provider examines your mouth, including your teeth, gums, and palate, to check for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, or potentially cancerous areas.
- Plaque removal. To avoid oral health issues, dental plaque and tartar are removed from teeth during professional teeth cleaning. Only a dental professional can remove tartar during teeth cleaning. You cannot do this with a toothbrush.
- Halitosis (bad breath). Underlying health problems can cause bad breath, but bacteria in the mouth is a common cause. Tartar and plaque responsible for the accumulation of bacteria can only be removed at professional cleaning.
- Cavities and Tooth Decay. Cavities and tooth decay occur underneath built-up tartar and plaque. Even if you brush your teeth twice a day at home, tooth decay can occur in hard-to-reach places like between the teeth. Tooth decay and cavities can be diagnosed at a cleaning session and managed before further damage occurs.
- Gum disease occurs when plaque irritates the gum line. Over time, the gum becomes inflamed. Inflammation creates small pockets in the gum that food can get stuck in and help bacteria flourish. If untreated, the gum wears away, compromising the tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does Dental Insurance Cost?
Your monthly dental insurance premiums will depend on the insurance company, your location, and your chosen plan. Plans that cover a high percentage of dental costs will have higher premiums than those only covering preventative care.
How much the plan charges for out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles, coinsurance, and annual maximums will also influence the cost of premiums.
A dental plan with comprehensive coverage costs, on average, $47 but can cost as much as $79, depending on how much coverage you need. A preventative care plan can cost as little as $21 per month.
How Much Is A Deep Teeth Cleaning Without Insurance?
The cost of deep cleaning depends on several factors discussed above, including the cleaning you receive.
An Adult (Prophylaxis) Teeth Cleaning costs up to $200, while deeper invasive cleaning can cost upwards of $1000.
Periodontal deep cleaning – also called scaling and rooting – where cleaning reaches beyond the gum lines can cost $300 per quadrant and $1800 for your whole mouth.
Following scaling and rooting, you will require periodontal maintenance every 3-4 months. The cost per session without insurance costs up to$300.
How Much Are Cavity Fillings Without Insurance?
The cost of filling a tooth cavity depends on the size and location of the cavity. The type of material used to fill the tooth factors into the price too.
Silver amalgams are the cheapest type of filling. Metal fillings cost up to $250 for one or two fillings. If more than two surfaces need to be filled, you could pay $360 or more.
Composite fillings are the same color as tooth enamel and are more costly than metal fillings. One or two fillings cost up to $332 and up to $472 for three or more surfaces. Composite fillings are also less durable than metal fillings and you may need to replace them every five years.
How Much Does A Tooth Extraction Cost Without Insurance?
A simple extraction is typically easy if the dentist can loosen the tooth and remove it without surgical intervention. The cost can come up to $250 per tooth.
Surgical intervention is required if your teeth are severely decayed and cannot be removed in one piece. A surgical extraction can cost up to $550 per tooth.
Removal of a wisdom tooth is usually a surgical procedure, especially if the teeth are impacted. Wisdom tooth removal can cost up to $800 per tooth.
There may be other costs associated with tooth extraction.
- Consultation. On average, your consultation with the dentist costs $114 and is billed apart from the procedure.
- X-rays. Your dentist may require an x-ray of your teeth and jaw before they extract any teeth. The cost of panoramic x-ray costs in the region of $125.
- Anesthetic. Any tooth extraction requires a form of anesthetic. Local anesthesia for a simple extraction costs around $53 but IV sedation for surgical extraction costs in the region of $232 per 15 minutes.
How Much Do Dentures Cost Without Insurance?
The cost of dentures is dictated by the type of dentures you need.
Partial dentures that fit between your natural teeth cost about $1500. Traditional dentures cost, on average, $1800, but you could pay as much as $3000.
Intermediate dentures, which go in right after your teeth are extracted, are similarly priced, costing between $1000 and $3000. Implant dentures cost, on average, $21,500 but can cost as much as $28,000 for a full arch.
As with teeth extractions, there are additional costs to consider when getting dentures. These include:
- Consultation and oral exam
- Tooth extraction
- Anesthesia
- Panoramic x-ray
- Molds of your teeth to determine denture shape
- Denture adjustments and realignment
Conclusion
The cost of dental care can be prohibitive if you do not have dental insurance. The good news is dental insurance can be affordable, even for low-income people.
Plus, preventative care is usually fully covered by insurance. Preventive maintenance can protect you against severe tooth and gum disease in the future, saving you money in the long run.
But you need to take care when choosing a plan. Some low-cost dental plans could see you paying heavily out of pocket if you require dental treatment. There are many plans and options available; navigating them on your own can be confusing.
At Enhance Health, our experienced agents can help you find a plan that suits your needs. Contact us today at 887 395 2858.
