How much do you pay for a dental cleaning?

I think I pay under a hundred for that, but every time I go to the dentist I feel like I have to apply for a loan. Everything is going up.

I went for a cleaning and paid out of pocket. I didn’t get fluoride, they just cleaned them and no xrays. It cost $131. That included a consultation with the dentist (the dental assistant did the cleaning.)

@casheroo I think you got burned.

Hubby just went to the dentist he got a cleaning and he got x-rays. It cost 119.00 out of pocket and the insurance covered an additional 70.00.

Finding a good dentist is certainly a skill.

Okay, just looked at my last bill. Exam by Dentist, x-rays, cleaning $156.00. My insurance paid $141.00.

MIne (cleaning, dentist doing his thing) with the 5% discount if I pay on the spot with a check, $131. No dental insurance. I live in a rural area about 1 hr. SE of Albany in NYS.

I just spent $1,325 to have a crown replaced and area debrided.

Wow, my dentist cleaning is $121. Bitewing x-rays are an additional $70.

@chyna Why would you say that? It’s the same as everyone elses. I don’t have dental insurance, I shop around. I’ve been to some shitty dentists and choose to go to a nice family practice. Which state do you live in? Because this is a normal price for decent dentists in my area.

My daughter just had her teeth cleaned and X-rayed, and treated with flouride. The bill was $138, but they found two cavities, so she had to go back a few days later to the tune of $239.

We “self-insure” for dental procedures.

@casheroo According to the other people’s answers, you are paying what everyone else is.
Sorry for the answer I gave. My state must be a lot cheaper. I live in WV.

I forgot to say that we are in Southern Texas. :-)

My insurance deductible used to $30.00 for the visit and I usually ended up with a balance not covered by insurance of about $80.00. The last visit was to a dentist who ran an introductory add of $50.00 which included the scans and the cleaning. It was a great job and alerted me to keep my eyes open for other such ads every 6mos or so.

My insurance pays for 3/year, and my employer pays for my dental insurance, so effectively, nothing. I was appalled when I saw how much they are charging the insurance company, and I think the insurance company isn’t paying the whole bill and the dentist writes off the balance as a loss for tax purposes. Meanwhile, someone without insurance would theoretically have to pay a massive amount to have clean teeth. Sigh. I don’t have a bill to consult right now.

Seatte, Washington – $125.00 out of pocket.

A lot of good answers so far. Does anyone else think that the $40 exam where the doctor comes in at the end and checks your mouth out for 3 minutes is unreasonable? I wonder if I could get the cleaning only and skip the exam?

@xBRIANx: Bad idea; there is decay, leakage, gum issues, and occasionally mouth cancer that the dentist checks on. You want to nip all dental issues in the bud in order to avoid huge problems later and gigantic costs. Penny-wise, pound foolish, remember.

@gailcalled I am aware of major dental problems like the ones you mentioned. But I am low risk (no prior problems, no family history) for dental problems. Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me? I would rather save up the $80 (2 dental exams per year) and put it towards a higher priority exam I need (i.e. colonoscopy, cholesterol check, prostate check, etc.).

@xBRIANx : Just remember to floss every hour and brush your tongue. Colonoscopy needs to be done only once every ten years, thank goodness.

@gailcalled, 10 years? But see that’s just it. Everyone says you have to have a colonoscopy every 10 years, a mammogram every two years, visit the denstist every 6 months, buy life insurance, do this, do that, etc. etc. etc. It’s not like humas are cars and need to be set to a rigit maintenance schedule. We need to make decisions based on our own health priorities/concerns in our life. For me, cancer screenings = high priority. Dental exams = low priority.

Well, in many ways we are like cars. Routine maintenance is good, it seems. I am sorry to hear that you have real concerns about cancer. Does it run in your family, or does a certain kind of cancer worry you?

The dentists in the practice I use will listen to patients with financial issues and make allowances, particularly for children.

Are you near a major university with a School of Dentistry? You can get good rates by using the students, who are always supervised.

@gailcalled Doesn’t everyone have concerns about cancer? Seems like everyone is getting it these days. It sure kills a lot more people than root canals, therefore my priority is having cancer screenings on a regular basis… Thanks for the tip on talking to the dentist about financial issues. Health (dental) care is just so freakin’ expensive when your employer doesn’t cover these costs… Unfortunately, no, there are no dental schools in the area.

While it is true that cancer can kill you, it is also true that dental problems can make you wish you were dead. They can suck all the fun out of everything, as well as be a risk for heart problems.

I suggest a bit of both dental care and general health screenings.

i paid zero :)

Insurance? In a Napoleon Dynamite tone of voice “LUCKY!”

My dentist is an expert, above and beyond the normal (he has his own lab, too). He charges $90 for a cleaning, including X Rays, cancer check, and everything else.

I pay him the $90 because he’s really good. If I wanted I could get a cleaning for $30 from a discount dentist. When I was in my 20’s I’d go to Mexico for dental cleaning because I didn’t have much money. Over there at the time it was $20.00.

Well! My dental Hygenist cost me (no insurance) $180. Plus $60. for the dentist to come in and look in my mouth…...

@poppins2 that’s crazy expensive.

I live in Asheville and just left dentist… had teeth cleaning only , no fluoride, dentist just looked over what the hygienist done…. $151.00!!

Never have paid anything…