May 27, 20227 min read

Cavity Filling Cost: US Statistics

Updated: Jun 20

How much does a cavity filling cost? Well, it appears that the cost of a tooth filling may vary depending on your US state. Which state has the most and least expensive dental filling? This is a rough guide put together by our long island city dentists about what you should expect to pay for the procedure based on statistics in the US.

broken cavity filling that needs replacement

Table of Contents:

What is a cavity filling?
Geographic cost differences
Cost of cavity filling without insurance
Cost of cavity filling with insurance
Other factors that can affect the cost

What is a dental filling?

A tooth filling is a dental procedure to remove tooth decay and then restore the tooth with a filling material. Traditionally, dentists used silver fillings as the material of choice but recent trends have shifted towards composite fillings. The more recent composites are often called white fillings because they're made out of a composite resin that matches your natural tooth.

Their popularity have grown with the general populace due to their superior aesthetics over the silver fillings. Another reason is the growing adversity towards consuming too much mercury, which the amalgam fillings are made with over 50% of it. These composite fillings are mercury free, which makes them an ideal choice.

Geographic cost differences of cavity fillings

There is a difference in the cost of tooth fillings across the US, which can be mostly attributed to the cost of living in the area. Therefore, if you were to get a dental filling done in one state and then traveled to another state, the price would most likely be different.

Due to the fact that the United States has 50 states, reporting just one "average cost of a tooth filling" would not be representative nor helpful for you to understand how much the procedure would cost.

Therefore, we've grouped multiple states into distinct regions of the US in order to give you a better idea of how much the dental filling be. All of the information here is based off of a 2020 survey of dental fees by the ADA (American Dental Association). They conduct a new survey roughly every 2-3 years in order to bring you the most up to date information. All of the data are voluntarily reported by dental offices across the US.

Cost of dental filling without insurance

The cost of a tooth filling without insurance will depend on the number of surfaces of the filling and the type of material it is. Last but not least, the overall fee would be dependent on the state or region of the US in which you receive the dental procedure.

Number of surfaces. Typically the more surfaces the cavity filling occupies, the more it would cost and each tooth has five surfaces.
Type of material. The composite fillings will cost more than the amalgams. The material is just more expensive to manufacture.
Location. Depending on the cost of living of the state, it would influence the average price.

All of these fees listed below are averages and they are voluntarily submitted for the use of the survey. Its purpose is meant to give you a rough idea of what to expect.