If you are paying out of pocket for your child’s dental care, how much you pay depends on a number of variables that produce a range of possible prices. These include the experience of the dentist you visit, whether you use financing to pay for the treatment, and whether you qualify for federally subsidized low-income assistance.
In this post, we discuss some average costs for dental procedures in Arizona, and how you may be able to afford them if you have no dental insurance provider.
To find out more about how to make dental care costs affordable for your children, call us at the Kids Dental Office of Phoenix at (602) 903-4894.
What Are Average Costs for Common Dental Procedures?
The “average” cost of a dental procedure depends on circumstances.
For example, if you live in a large metropolitan area, like Phoenix, then dental costs tend to be higher than if you live in a rural area. Or, if you are receiving routine dental care through a dental school, this will be less expensive than if you use an established dental office.
Additional cost variables include:
- The type of material used in fillings or crowns. For example, tooth-colored materials made from porcelain can cost more than regular materials.
- The experience of the dentist.
- How early the underlying dental problem is found and treated. A cavity treated early is less expensive than root canal surgery if treatment is delayed.
How much you pay for children’s dental care without insurance is also subject to influences like their oral health. Children with healthy teeth and gums tend to need fewer restorative services like cavity fillings and crowns than children whose parents help them keep up good dental hygiene habits like regular tooth brushing and flossing and restrict their intake of foods high in sugar.
Thus, you should take the cost estimates below as a guideline.
| Type of Dental Procedure | Average Cost Without Insurance |
| Routine dental exam | $75 to 200 |
| Routine dental cleaning and polishing | $75 to $200 |
| Deep cleaning | $170 to $350 per quadrant cleaned (four quadrants total) |
| Cavity filling | $100 to $300 per filling (depending on location and size) |
| Dental X-rays | $20 to $250 per image |
| Dental crown | $500 to $3000 per tooth, depending on location and material used. |
| Root canal surgery | $500 to $1500 per tooth |
| Simple tooth extraction | $150 to $450 per tooth |
| Surgical tooth extraction | $150 to $650 per tooth |
| Impacted wisdom teeth removal | $250 – $700 |
| Dental implants | $1,500 – $6,000 per implant |
How Can You Reduce the Cost of Dental Care Without Insurance?
If you have no insurance coverage, you can take steps to keep your costs down when you have to pay out of pocket. Here are some options to consider.
Practice Preventive Care
Maintaining oral health is one of the most effective ways you can avoid or reduce the cost of dental services. Healthy teeth and healthy gums do not require dental procedures like fillings, crowns, deep cleanings, and extractions as much as unhealthy ones do.
Specific preventive oral hygiene practices you can encourage your children to follow include:
- Brushing their teeth at least twice daily with a soft bristle tooth brush and a fluoride toothpaste.
- Flossing their teeth daily.
- Cleaning their tongue with a tongue scraper.
- Using a fluoride antimicrobial mouthwash twice daily.
- Limit intake of sugary foods. Sugar is an ideal source of food for the mouth bacteria that can lead to plaque and tartar buildup on teeth surfaces and along the gum line.
- Drinking plenty of water helps keep the mouth moist and fosters saliva production, reducing the chance of dry mouth-related oral health problems including gum disease.
Schedule Regular Dental Visits
Closely related to preventive home care is scheduling your child for routine dental checkups and cleanings twice a year. These regular visits can further reduce the need for costly dental procedures by keeping teeth and gums clean and addressing minor problems before they worsen into more serious ones that require more complex procedures to correct.
Consider Financing Options
Several alternatives exist to paying out of pocket for dental care.
- Organizations like CareCredit and Alphaeon offer financing plans to pay for dental procedures over time.
- Flex Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts allow you to save money tax-free to pay for health care services, including dental care.
- Dental discount plans let you have access to lower costs for dental services in return for paying an annual fee.
- See if your dentist’s office will allow you to pay for out-of-pocket services in installments.
Do You Qualify for Medicaid Assistance?
For children under age 19 who live in low-income households, the federal government’s Medicaid program works in partnership with the state of Arizona to provide two forms of no-cost or low-cost dental coverage insurance plans for children:
- The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) provides health insurance coverage that pays for all the costs of medically necessary dental procedures for children, including preventive services, orthodontic treatment, and oral surgery.
- The Arizona KidsCare program provides Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which is low-cost health insurance to low-income families who do not qualify for no-cost coverage under AHCCCS.
These programs do not pay for cosmetic dentistry, such as teeth whitening, but they otherwise cover most necessary dental services.
Ask the Kids Dental Office of Phoenix About Affordable Dental Care
At the Kids Dental Office of Phoenix, we provide children with quality dental care services, including common overall oral health procedures like dental checkups and cleanings. We also treat all dental issues up to and including major dental work like root canals and orthodontic treatment.
We accept many traditional insurance plans and payment through AHCCCS and KidsCare. We will also file claims on your behalf, saving you time and hassle.
Our knowledgeable benefit coordinators can help you maximize your dental benefits and minimize your out-of-pocket costs. We will tell you upfront what your dental plan will pay for and offer options for covering any remaining balance.
Call us at (602) 903-4894 or use our online contact form to speak with us about your child’s dental needs or to schedule an appointment with one of our pediatric dentists or orthodontists.