Guide · state variation · vintage 2024

Why dental costs vary by state

According to ADA Health Policy Institute private estimates and BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), the same CDT can cost hundreds more in one state than another. Cost of living, Medicaid policy, and provider supply explain most of the spread in this fee archive.

$424
D7240 national avg
$509
New York high
$374
Mississippi low
36%
High vs low gap

What the fee archive shows

For full-bony wisdom-tooth removal (D7240), national private average is $424; state rows in this file run about $374 (Mississippi) to $509 (New York) - a 36% gap.

$424
D7240 national
$509
New York
$374
Mississippi
19
Extensive Medicaid tiers

Private estimates = ADA HPI baselines × BEA Regional Price Parities. They are not quoted office fees.

Highest D7240 private averages Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value ($). Highest D7240 private averages Top 5 1. New York $509 2. District of Columbia $504 3. New Jersey $491 4. Hawaii $491 5. California $491 Top jurisdictions by modeled private estimate forcompletely bony wisdom-tooth removal.
Lowest D7240 private averages Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value ($). Lowest D7240 private averages Top 5 1. Mississippi $374 2. Alabama $375 3. West Virginia $381 4. Arkansas $381 5. South Dakota $384 Lowest jurisdictions for the same CDT, RPP-adjustedbaselines, not negotiated cash rates.

Source: ADA HPI Survey of Dental Fees + BEA Regional Price Parities procedure_costs private_estimate · D7240 · 2024

Three drivers explain almost all of the cost spread between states for the same CDT code: cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities), Medicaid policy (which sets the floor for a large share of adult patients), and provider supply (how many dentists and specialists compete in the market).

1. Cost of living (RPP)

This portal's private estimates start from national ADA HPI fee survey baselines and scale them by each state's Regional Price Parity. High-RPP states (coastal metros) sit above the national average; low-RPP states sit below, for the identical CDT.

2. Medicaid policy

Adult dental is optional. This snapshot has 19 extensive, 21 limited, 10 emergency-only, and 1 none (Delaware). Where Medicaid pays a listed fee, it anchors a large patient segment; where it doesn't, private cash becomes the only path. See Medicaid coverage by state.

3. Provider supply

Specialist density (oral surgeons, endodontists) and whether a market has a dental school clinic change the cash quotes you actually hear, even when the RPP-adjusted baseline is fixed.

The dollar figures in this article are rendered from our procedure-cost database (ADA Health Policy Institute Survey of Dental Fees 2024 averages and state adult-Medicaid coverage records), while the explanation around them is written prose rather than database output. Medicaid dollar values are modeled estimates, not published state fee schedules. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Our database was last rebuilt on 16 May 2026.

PlainDentalCost publishes cost reference data for informational purposes only. It is not dental, medical, insurance, or financial advice, it does not describe what any particular practice will charge you, and coverage rules change, so confirm fees with the provider and benefits with the state Medicaid program before you rely on a number. Appropriate use.