PlainDentalCost
State-by-state dental procedure costs from public Medicaid fee schedules
Figures are cross-checked against the source agency and refreshed as new data lands.
About This Data
PlainDentalCost pulls together 62 commonly-searched dental procedures across 51 US jurisdictions and tells you, in dollar terms, what each one is likely to cost. State Medicaid reimbursement rates come from each state's published dental fee schedule (with national averages cross-checked against the ADA Health Policy Institute Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium). Private-market estimates start from the ADA HPI national Survey of Dental Fees and are adjusted to each state using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. The result is a transparent, citation-backed view of dental procedure prices across the country.
The dataset captures the gap that matters most to consumers: roughly 40 of 51 jurisdictions cover at least limited adult dental services through Medicaid; the remaining 11 only cover emergencies for adults, meaning a working adult in those states pays the full private rate out of pocket. For the same procedure, the most expensive states run roughly a third higher than the cheapest purely on cost-of-living grounds, before any insurance discount. We do not invent numbers and we do not extrapolate beyond what each source says, when data is missing, the table cell shows "Data not available" rather than a guess.
Top procedures by national private-market average
Mean private-market cost across all 51 jurisdictions. Click any procedure for state-by-state breakdown.
| Procedure | CDT Code | Avg. private cost |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatment - Adult | D8090 | $6,372 |
| Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatment - Adolescent | D8080 | $5,944 |
| Surgical Placement of Implant Body | D6010 | $2,312 |
| Mandibular Partial Denture - Cast Metal Framework | D5214 | $2,065 |
| Maxillary Partial Denture - Cast Metal Framework | D5213 | $2,065 |
Average private-market dental cost by state
Each state's average across the tracked procedures, blending state Medicaid reimbursement levels and local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities). Darker states run more expensive.
Source: state Medicaid fee schedules, ADA Health Policy Institute, and BEA Regional Price Parities. Browse every state →
States with adult Medicaid dental coverage
40 of 51 jurisdictions cover at least limited adult dental services.
Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky…
See all states →States without adult coverage (emergency only)
11 jurisdictions cover only emergency dental services for adults.
Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas
How to find affordable care →Browse by category
Research & analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlainDentalCost?
PlainDentalCost is an independent data portal that organizes dental procedure cost information published by state Medicaid agencies, the ADA Health Policy Institute, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. We cover 62 commonly-searched dental procedures (CDT D-codes) across all 50 US states plus the District of Columbia. Every cost figure on this site links back to a public, citable source.
Where do these dental cost numbers come from?
Two main sources. (1) Medicaid reimbursement rates come from each state's published dental fee schedule, with national averages from the ADA Health Policy Institute's Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium. (2) Private market estimates use the ADA HPI Survey of Dental Fees as a national baseline, scaled to each state by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). The methodology page walks through each step and lists every source URL.
Why do dental costs vary so much from state to state?
Three main drivers. (1) State Medicaid programs set their own reimbursement rates, Arkansas pays roughly 0.73x the national Medicaid average for a routine cleaning while New York pays 1.51x. (2) Cost of living, captured by BEA Regional Price Parities, ranges from 86.4 in Mississippi to 117.5 in New York, that swing alone moves a $1,338 porcelain crown from $1,156 to $1,572. (3) Adult Medicaid coverage scope varies wildly: 40 states cover comprehensive or limited adult dental services; the remaining 11 only cover emergencies for adults.
Is this data free to use?
Yes. All data is sourced from public government datasets and the ADA Health Policy Institute's freely-distributed compendiums. There are no paywalls or account requirements. We cite every figure so you can verify and use it confidently. Note: CDT procedure codes are an ADA-copyrighted code set; we use them factually (code numbers + brief descriptions of what each procedure covers) which is a fair use, and we do not republish the CDT manual.
How current is the data?
Cost figures use 2024 ADA HPI compendium baselines (the most recent annual release). Per-state Medicaid coverage policy reflects 2026 Q1 (the MACPAC compendium plus state-specific updates). Whenever a state restores or removes adult dental coverage we will update the affected state pages. The data vintage shown on each page is the official source vintage, not a "last refreshed" placeholder.
About this data
How PlainDentalCost works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainDentalCost organizes dental procedure cost information published by state Medicaid agencies, the ADA Health Policy Institute, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, covering 62 commonly-searched dental procedures (CDT D-codes) across all 50 states plus DC. Every cost figure links back to a public, citable source.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull state Medicaid dental fee schedules, the ADA HPI Survey of Dental Fees, the ADA HPI Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium, and BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Verify. Scale the national ADA HPI baseline to each state using the BEA Regional Price Parity for that state, and cross-check Medicaid reimbursement figures against the MACPAC coverage compendium.
- Publish. Compile per-procedure and per-state pages showing Medicaid and private-market cost estimates, with every figure traceable to its source dataset via the methodology page.
Editorial independence & corrections
CDT (Current Dental Terminology) codes are a copyrighted code set of the American Dental Association; PlainDentalCost references CDT codes factually for cost-transparency purposes (fair use) and does not republish the CDT manual. The PlainDentalCost editorial team is independent and accepts no advertising or sponsorship from dental providers or insurers. Found a figure that looks wrong? Reach us via the contact page; see our methodology for full source attribution.
Frequently asked
What is PlainDentalCost?
PlainDentalCost is an independent data portal that organizes dental procedure cost information published by state Medicaid agencies, the ADA Health Policy Institute, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. We cover 62 commonly-searched dental procedures (CDT D-codes) across all 50 US states plus the District of Columbia. Every cost figure on this site links back to a public, citable source.
Where do these dental cost numbers come from?
Two main sources. (1) Medicaid reimbursement rates come from each state's published dental fee schedule, with national averages from the ADA Health Policy Institute's Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium. (2) Private market estimates use the ADA HPI Survey of Dental Fees as a national baseline, scaled to each state by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). The methodology page walks through each step and lists every source URL.
Why do dental costs vary so much from state to state?
Three main drivers. (1) State Medicaid programs set their own reimbursement rates, Arkansas pays roughly 0.73x the national Medicaid average for a routine cleaning while New York pays 1.51x. (2) Cost of living, captured by BEA Regional Price Parities, ranges from 86.4 in Mississippi to 117.5 in New York, that swing alone moves a $1,338 porcelain crown from $1,156 to $1,572. (3) Adult Medicaid coverage scope varies wildly: 40 states cover comprehensive or limited adult dental services; the remaining 11 only cover emergencies for adults.
Is this data free to use?
Yes. All data is sourced from public government datasets and the ADA Health Policy Institute's freely-distributed compendiums. There are no paywalls or account requirements. We cite every figure so you can verify and use it confidently. Note: CDT procedure codes are an ADA-copyrighted code set; we use them factually (code numbers + brief descriptions of what each procedure covers) which is a fair use, and we do not republish the CDT manual.
How current is the data?
Cost figures use 2024 ADA HPI compendium baselines (the most recent annual release). Per-state Medicaid coverage policy reflects 2026 Q1 (the MACPAC compendium plus state-specific updates). Whenever a state restores or removes adult dental coverage we will update the affected state pages. The data vintage shown on each page is the official source vintage, not a "last refreshed" placeholder.