The average cost of a dental cleaning is about $300 in Long Island City if you do not have insurance. However if you have insurance and you see an in-network dentist, you may not have any out of pocket cost at all. Although if you get your teeth cleaned by a dentist who does not participate with insurance, you will have a copay even if you have 100% coverage.
Let us explain why.
Table of Contents:
How much does a teeth cleaning cost in Long Island City?
Yes, the average cost of a teeth cleaning is $300 without dental insurance in Long Island City. From our experience, it may range from $250-$600 if you do not have any insurance. That is the price for an out of pocket appointment.
If you're wondering why there is such a wide range, it is because there is one particular dental office in LIC which skews the entire statistic.
Most of the dentists in Long Island City charge around $300.
There is ONE dentist in Long Island City that recently doubled the cost to $600.
How do we know? Because you guys tell us when you come in, either new patients who call around or someone switching over to us due to the fee increase.
What's the cost of a dental cleaning at Jackson Ave Dental?
The cost to get your teeth cleaned at our office will be $225 if you don't have dental insurance. We know what the fees are for the entire neighborhood in LIC and although we have been raising it due to inflation, we're trying to keep it reasonable.
Reasons for it to cost that much:
Encourage new patients to come. We've purposefully kept our fees a bit lower than the average to encourage new patients to give our dentists a try.
It's very reasonable. Sometimes we have people call and tell us that our fee of $225 is expensive but that's not true. We can point you towards someone who costs a lot more than us, although we won't name names.
How much does it cost WITH insurance?
If you have dental insurance your dental cleaning should be fully covered at 100%. That means you will have no copay and zero out of pocket cost. That is the average coverage that we see for most PPO dental insurances. However, that ONLY applies if you see a dentist that is in network with your insurance. That means they participate with your insurance's network.
Our dental office is IN NETWORK with most PPO dental insurances, which means most of our patients with insurance do not have a copay for their cleaning. You should be aware that some of the dentists in LIC do not participate with any insurances at all. When you ask about insurance they will use these phrases in lieu of saying they're in network.
Common phrases for an out of network dentist:
We accept your insurance.
We work with your insurance.
However, what they will never say is "we are in network with your insurance". You can ask them if they are but they will sidestep question and give you one of the replies above.
Variables which may add to the cost
On average, most PPO dental insurances will fully cover the visit but there are exceptions. If one of these exceptions apply to you then you will have a copayment.
Annual deductible. Not all insurances but some have a deductible which applies to preventative services. Since a dental cleaning falls under that category you will have an out of pocket cost. The average deductible is about $50 total.
Preventative coverage. Most insurances cover teeth cleanings at 100% but we have seen some rare plans that cover it at 90%. If you have less than full coverage then you will be responsible for a 10% copayment.
Dentist out of network. Even if you have 100% dental cleaning coverage, if you see an out of network dentist you will have a copay. Dentists who do not participate with insurance can charge as much as they want.
Frequency limitations. Most dental insurances such as delta dental will cover 2 cleanings per year. If you try to get a third one, it will not be covered.
What is included in the dental cleaning appointment?
The cleaning appointment is usually combined with a couple of other dental procedures to make what we call the check up and cleaning visit.
Included procedures:
Teeth cleaning. Of course you will get your chompers cleaned and sparkling.
Oral examination. The appointment is never complete unless you get examined by a dentist. This is the "check up" portion of the visit and also the time for you to ask questions if you have concerns about your teeth, gums, or mouth.
Dental x-rays. Radiographs are typically taken once per year and they are covered by insurance. There is no reason to take them every 6 months unless you're watching a specific precarious tooth condition. Taking them too frequently may not show any changes and only exposes you to unnecessary radiation.
Together, all three of these components combine into what is known as the check up and cleaning visit.
How to make an appointment with us
If you'd like to make an appointment for a dental cleaning with one of our long island city dentists, you can call or book online.
Call us. Give us a call during our business hours and our lovely dental receptionist would be more than delighted to set up your cleaning appointment. They can also verify your insurance for you at the same time.
Book online. You can book your appointment via our online scheduling software, which makes appointments in REAL TIME. That is correct, it reads and writes into our scheduling because it is not a third party tool. What you see is what we see in the schedule.
It doesn't get easier than that to get your teeth cleaned! We hope to see you at our office and let us become a part of your oral health journey. Don't forget that insurance typically covers two cleanings per calendar year!
