It shows itself with a sharp pain when you bite down into a piece of toast, a hamburger, or just about anything else that requires chewing. The fact is, that even if you try to ignore it, that pain will not just keep coming back, but will get worse as time passes.
Yes, we’re talking about cavities. There are distinct clues as to their presence, but many people worry about getting them taken care of because of the costs involved. So, how much does it cost to get a cavity filling?
First, understand what a cavity is. Our teeth are covered in tooth enamel, which is the hardest substance in the body. That does sound impressive, but tooth decay can wear away this enamel until a hole forms. The whole story gets a little complicated but basically acids eat away at the unprotected tooth. This creates a hole in it which is called a cavity.
Knowing what a cavity is, though, doesn’t mean that you can be absolutely certain that you have one. There are some signs to watch out for, the most major one being the dreaded toothache. If a toothache occurs but doesn’t happen again, then it’s probably nothing to worry about, but if it’s persistent, then it could be a cavity which needs a filling.
Other indications of a cavity are sensitivity of the tooth and pain when eating. The best thing to do if any of these things are happening is to visit your dentist and find out if it is a cavity.
If you are fairly certain that you do have a cavity, but don’t want to see the dentist just yet because of the cost the moment you walk in the door, then realize that going to the dentist is best done with an insurance plan to cover most of the cost. A trip to the dentist is hardly ever cheap and having insurance to cover the cost of something like a tooth filling is essential.
So, if you don’t have dental insurance, then get coverage! It may seem like yet another extra expense, but even basic coverage will cover a good deal of what would otherwise be a pretty hefty bill. Filling a cavity can cost quite a bit, depending on the damage to the tooth, so insurance is a must.
As to the exact cost of getting a filling for a cavity, there is no straightforward, easy answer, because there are different kinds of cavities with different levels of severity. If there’s one thing that is true, it’s that if you believe that you do have a cavity, then don’t wait to do something about it. Cavities get worse over time and more expensive.
But, say someone walks through the door of a doctor’s office without insurance and gets a filling for their teeth. What does that cost? A ballpark estimate for someone living in the Portland area is about six hundred to eight hundred dollars, and yes, that’s in US Dollars!
The reason why that margin of a couple of hundred dollars exists is because the cost varies by how hard the cavity is to get at and just how big it is, which is why it’s important to get to the office as soon as possible after you suspect that you might have a cavity.
Not only that, waiting to have it filled can lead to a cavity going all the way to the root of a tooth. It can even mean having to remove the tooth altogether if it’s left to rot too long. If you thought a cavity is expensive, surgeries to repair or remove tooth will leave you breathless!
Part of the reason for different costs to fill a cavity also has to do with what type of material is used to fill the cavity. The most common filling that was used up until recent years was silver and that came with the cost of between fifty and a hundred dollars.
The most common kind of filling today is resin, which is a white-coloured filling that blends in with the color of the tooth. Those can go for anywhere between ninety and two hundred and fifty dollars. Finally, those looking to impress can get a gold filling for between two hundred and forty-five hundred dollars!
Why is there a price range again? The main reason has to do with the size of the cavity. The bigger the cavity, the more resin or silver needs to be used, which in turn, bumps up the cost.
So, that’s the basic cost of filling a tooth. As you can see, it’s not cheap! As a result, it really is a good decision to get dental insurance. An affordable plan will usually cover between eighty and ninety percent of the cost, which makes a big difference!
