The shocking disparity between dental care prices in the world’s most advanced countries has been revealed.
Dental care in the United States is the most expensive among the G7 countries, costing an average of $518.
Germany and Italy are the cheapest, costing $210 and $173, respectively.
Healthnews focused on five key dental procedures – cleanings, crowns, root canals, tooth extractions and fillings – and analyzed prices from more than 350 local dental and oral health websites.
Data was collected in March 2024, from an average of 50 information sources per country, including online health forums, relevant government pages and healthcare price comparison websites. Prices have been converted to US dollars.
The United States was the most expensive country for each procedure, with a crown there costing three times as much as in Italy, $1,052 versus $308.
In the United States, a routine cleaning costs around $163, while more complicated procedures will set you back $838 for a root canal and $305 for a tooth extraction.
In the United States, the dental care system is primarily comprised of private practices, supported by a variety of payment methods, including insurance, out-of-pocket payments, and some government programs for those who qualify.
These include Medicaid, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F, and the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
But insurance plans often have high caps and deductibles, meaning people can still end up paying a lot for the dental care they need.
Despite high costs in the United States, people access care relatively quickly.
According to a 2022 survey, the average wait time for a first dentist appointment in the United States was 10 days, Statista reported.
In the UK, by comparison, some patients have been asked to wait up to three years for appointments and six weeks for emergency care.
Canada is the second most expensive country to have your teeth treated, with an average of $414 for treatment.
People living here can pay about $136 for a cleaning and almost $1,000 for a crown – a tooth-shaped cap that restores a decayed, broken, weak or worn tooth.
In Canada, dental care operates separately from the universal health care system and primarily through private clinics.
Although hospital and doctor services are covered by government health care plans for most Canadians, dental services are not, meaning access to affordable dental care remains a challenge for many Canadians .
Compared to the United States and the United Kingdom, it is relatively inexpensive to have a tooth extracted in Canada – it costs you $198.
According to the Canadian Dental Association, Canadians have some of the best access to oral health care in the world and wait times are among the shortest in the world.
Three in four Canadians visit a dentist at least once a year and 84 percent of Canadians believe they have good or excellent oral health.
In the UK, the average dental procedure costs $331. The cleaning is one of the lowest, at $92, and the crowns are much lower than in the United States, at $627.
The system includes both the National Health Service (NHS) and private dental practices.
The NHS offers check-ups, treatments such as fillings and extractions, and some cosmetic treatments if deemed medically necessary.
But there is a serious funding shortfall for NHS dentistry which has been growing for years, leading to a rise in the number of people attempting DIY treatments at home.
Although private dentists generally offer more flexible appointments and shorter waiting lists, many are still oversubscribed.
Costs are also significantly higher and vary considerably across the UK.
In France, an average dental procedure costs $246. Tooth extractions and fillings cost almost half the price in the UK, at $126 and $135 respectively, compared to $238 and $215 in England.
Cleaning costs $115 while a crown costs $418.
In theory, the French health system reimburses 70 percent of the costs of most dental care through state social security, with a private health insurance option to cover the remaining 30 percent.
However, the actual prices dentists charge are often significantly higher than state suggested prices, meaning out-of-pocket costs can be high.
In Japan, tooth extractions cost $204 while cleaning costs $121. Japan’s health insurance system covers most dental treatments, including routine exams, fillings, and root canals.
Patients tend to pay 30% of treatment costs, making dental care accessible and preventing citizens from facing heavy out-of-pocket costs.
Germany is known for its high-quality dental services, which are covered by the country’s statutory health insurance.
This usually covers routine check-ups and basic treatments like fillings. Cleanings typically cost $89 while crowns can cost up to $323.
Italy offers the most affordable dental care of all the countries surveyed, being the only country where some average procedures fall below $100.
Cleaning services cost $78 while tooth extractions cost $97.
Italy’s national health service offers some free or discounted dental services, with a focus on prevention through routine check-ups, basic fillings, tooth extractions and emergency care.
And in the private sector, dental care is more affordable in Italy than in many Northern European countries and the United States. This is partly due to the lower cost of living in the country.
However, waiting times can be long in Italy. Waiting times in the Italian NHS vary greatly, so you could wait a week or a few months, but in the private system you can usually get an appointment quicker, even within 24 hours, depending Expatica.