How Much Does Dental Filling Cost in 2026?With & Without Insurance
Dental Filling costs between $75 and $615 without insurance. A typical all-in cash-pay visit runs about $212.
A dental filling costs $75-$615 without insurance depending on the material and how many tooth surfaces the decay has reached. The most common filling, a two-surface composite on a back tooth (CDT D2392), has a national median cash price of $212. See the price of every filling code.
Quick Price Summary
Cash-Pay Price Range
$75-$615
Typical all-in estimate: $212Covers the full visit. The verified benchmark below prices the primary billing code on its own.
With Insurance
$27-$83
After deductible
Based on published hospital and provider price-transparency disclosures, cash-pay benchmarks, and public fee schedules. Last updated September 2026.
What is Dental Filling?
A dental filling restores a tooth damaged by decay. The dentist numbs the area, removes the decayed material, cleans the cavity and packs it with a restorative material that is then shaped to the tooth's original contour. It is the most common restorative procedure in dentistry and is completed in a single visit. Two materials dominate: dental amalgam, a silver-colored alloy that is durable under chewing load and cheaper, and composite resin, a tooth-colored plastic-and-glass material that bonds to the tooth so less healthy structure needs removing. Price is set by two things and two things only - which material is used, and how many surfaces of the tooth the decay has reached. Every combination has its own CDT billing code, which is why one person's filling costs $130 and the next person's $308 at the same office on the same day.
What Affects Dental Filling Cost?
- Surface count: this is the biggest driver. A one-surface composite on a back tooth (D2391) has a national median cash price of $170; two surfaces (D2392) $212; three (D2393) $260; four or more (D2394) $308.
- Material: composite runs 20-30% above amalgam at every surface count - median $170 vs $130 for a single surface. Many dental plans reimburse posterior composite only at the amalgam rate and bill you the difference.
- Tooth position: front-tooth composites (D2330-D2335) price slightly below back-tooth composites (D2391-D2394) for the same surface count, because access and chewing load are easier.
- Where you go: a dental school clinic prices a filling at roughly half the private-practice median - $85 against $170 for a one-surface posterior composite. FQHCs use an income-based sliding scale.
- What else is billed the same day: X-rays, a periodic or comprehensive exam, and in some offices local anesthetic are separate codes. Ask for a written estimate that lists all of them.
- Annual maximum: dental plans cap total benefits at $1,000-$1,500 a year. Several fillings in one plan year can exhaust it, after which you pay full price regardless of coverage.
How to choose where to get Dental Filling
The cash-pay range on this page is $75-$615. Before you book, use these steps to find out which setting a quote comes from and what it includes.
Step by step
- Ask for a written treatment plan that lists each procedure with its dental procedure (CDT) code and price, so you can compare offices line by line.
- Ask whether the practice offers its own self-pay membership plan, and what it includes.
- Compare a dental school clinic. Dental schools often run clinics where supervised students provide care at a reduced cost. Source: NIDCR, finding dental care
- If your income is limited, check a federally funded community health center. Health centers offer a sliding fee discount based on your income and family size. Source: HRSA, find a health center
- Ask for a Good Faith Estimate. Dental providers are generally required to give one to uninsured and self-pay patients who schedule at least 3 business days ahead, or who ask. Source: CMS, medical bill rights
- Keep every estimate. If a provider or facility bills you at least $400 more than its Good Faith Estimate, you can start the federal patient-provider dispute process for a bill dated within the last 120 days. The fee is $25. Source: CMS, dispute a bill
Care settings compared
| Setting | How it typically bills | What to ask for | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| General dentist | A fee per procedure, listed by CDT code. | A written treatment plan with codes and prices. | Cleanings, fillings and many crowns. |
| Dental specialist | A fee per procedure. Sedation and X-rays may be separate lines. | Whether sedation and X-rays are in the quote. | Complex root canals, surgical extractions, implants and orthodontics. |
| Dental school clinic | Reduced fees for care from supervised students. | Wait times for new patients, and which procedures they accept. | When you can be flexible about scheduling. |
| Community health center | A sliding fee discount based on income and family size. | Which documents they need to set your discount, and whether they offer this service. | When your income is limited. Services vary by center. |
General information, not medical advice. Your clinician decides which setting is safe for you.
How to Save on Dental Filling
Ask for a written treatment plan by CDT code and tooth number before treatment. It lets you compare offices on identical work and catch a one-surface filling billed as three.
If a filling is on a back molar and cost is the deciding factor, ask whether amalgam is clinically appropriate - it is cheaper at every surface count and more durable under chewing load.
Check whether your plan downgrades posterior composites to the amalgam rate. If it does, you pay the difference and should know the number in advance.
Price a dental school clinic: about $85 for a filling that runs $170 in private practice, done by students under faculty supervision. Appointments take longer.
If you need several fillings, ask whether the treatment can be split across two plan years to stay under the annual maximum on each side.
Fill it early. Decay only moves in one direction, and the code steps up with every surface it reaches - then to a root canal and a crown.
What every filling code actually costs
A filling is not one price. Dentists bill by material and by how many surfaces of the tooth the decay reached, and each combination is a separate CDT code. Find the code on your treatment plan to see the national cash price for exactly what you are being quoted.
| Code | Filling | Typical cash | Usual range | Dental school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D2140 | Amalgam (silver), 1 surface | $130 | $75-$275 | $68 |
| D2150 | Amalgam (silver), 2 surfaces | $160 | $90-$340 | $82 |
| D2160 | Amalgam (silver), 3 surfaces | $195 | $110-$400 | $100 |
| D2330 | Composite (tooth-colored), 1 surface, front tooth | $150 | $80-$300 | $78 |
| D2331 | Composite, 2 surfaces, front tooth | $185 | $100-$375 | $95 |
| D2332 | Composite, 3 surfaces, front tooth | $225 | $120-$450 | $115 |
| D2391 | Composite, 1 surface, back tooth | $170 | $90-$340 | $85 |
| D2392 | Composite, 2 surfaces, back tooth | $212 | $115-$425 | $108 |
| D2393 | Composite, 3 surfaces, back tooth | $260 | $140-$520 | $132 |
| D2394 | Composite, 4+ surfaces, back tooth | $308 | $165-$615 | $155 |
For reference when you check a bill against your plan, the FAIR Health 50th-percentile allowed amount runs $120-$275 across these codes, and the 80th percentile $185-$430. An allowed amount above the 80th percentile is worth questioning.
Source: FairVisitHealth national dental price reference, covering the ten common amalgam and composite filling codes (CDT D2140-D2394), with FAIR Health 50th/80th-percentile allowed amounts and dental-school clinic rates. Data as of August 2026. Dental fees are not published in the CMS hospital price-transparency files that back our imaging and surgery guides, so these figures come from dental fee-schedule sources rather than hospital disclosures.
Dental Filling Cost by City
Local self-pay prices for dental filling in 42 cities, from providers in each metro area.
These are averages. Get your exact local answer.
The Self-Pay Playbook builds your plan for Dental Filling: posted cash prices from facilities near you, lower-priced options nearby, and the exact words to say when you call.
Build My PlaybookIncluded with FairPass membership · $29/mo
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a dental filling cost without insurance?
A single-surface filling costs $75 to $90 at the low end and $275 to $340 at the high end, with national median cash prices of $130 for amalgam (CDT D2140) and $170 for a tooth-colored composite on a back tooth (D2391). The most commonly placed filling, a two-surface composite on a back tooth (D2392), has a national median cash price of $212. Cost scales with the number of tooth surfaces the decay has reached, not with how long the appointment takes.
Why do two fillings at the same office cost different amounts?
Because fillings are billed by surface count and material, and each combination is a different CDT code. A one-surface composite on a back tooth is D2391 (median $170). If the decay extends across two surfaces it becomes D2392 (median $212), three surfaces D2393 (median $260), and four or more D2394 (median $308). Front-tooth composites are a separate code series (D2330 to D2335) and price slightly lower. Amalgam is cheaper than composite at every surface count.
Is a composite filling worth more than an amalgam one?
Composite costs roughly 20 to 30 percent more than amalgam at the same surface count - a median $170 against $130 for a single surface. It bonds to the tooth, so less healthy structure has to be removed, and it matches tooth color, which matters on visible teeth. Amalgam is more durable under heavy chewing load and is a reasonable choice for a back molar if cost is the deciding factor. Many dental plans reimburse a posterior composite only at the amalgam rate and bill you the difference, so ask before you choose.
How much does a filling cost with dental insurance?
Fillings are classed as basic restorative work, which most dental plans cover at 70 to 80 percent after a deductible of around $50. Applied to the FAIR Health 50th-percentile allowed amounts for common filling codes ($135 to $275), that leaves roughly $27 to $83 out of pocket per filling once the deductible is met. Two things blunt this: many plans reimburse posterior composites at the amalgam rate, and annual maximums of $1,000 to $1,500 are quickly exhausted if you need several fillings in one year.
Where can I get a filling cheaply without insurance?
Dental schools are the largest single saving: a filling that costs $170 in private practice runs about $85 at a dental school clinic, where students work under faculty supervision. Federally Qualified Health Centers offer dental care on a sliding scale tied to household income. In-office membership plans, typically $200 to $400 a year, bundle cleanings and exams with a discount on restorative work and are usually better value than a third-party discount card if you use one office consistently.
What happens if I do not fill a cavity?
Decay does not stop on its own. As it reaches more surfaces, the filling code steps up: a $130 one-surface filling becomes a $308 four-surface one. If it reaches the pulp you need a root canal ($700 to $1,800) and then a crown ($800 to $1,800) to restore the tooth, and if the tooth cannot be saved you are choosing between an extraction and an implant costing several thousand dollars. Filling a cavity early is the cheapest form of dental care there is.
Should I get an itemized estimate before treatment?
Yes, and ask for it by CDT code. A written treatment plan should list each tooth number, each code, and each fee. That lets you check the surface count against what was actually done, compare quotes between offices on identical work, and dispute a bill that codes a one-surface filling as a three-surface one. If X-rays, an exam or local anesthetic are billed separately, they should appear on the same estimate.
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Related Procedure Costs
Medical Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Pricing information is based on publicly reported data and may not reflect your actual costs.
Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for medical decisions. Prices shown are estimates for self-pay patients and may vary by provider, location, and individual circumstances.