Need a Dental Exam?
If you are without dental insurance, it might be easy to dismiss your regular dental visits to cut down on costs. However, your regular dental visits are where dental exams and cleanings take place. Most dental cleanings happen during your normal exams, but are considered different procedures. Dental exams are how you know the health of your mouth and how your dentist is able to address and treat any problems that are present. Here, you’ll see why it’s so important that you have these regular dental exams, what types of dental exams there are and what you can expect to pay for a dental exam with or without dental insurance.
How Much Does it Cost to Get a Dental Exam?
A dental exam costs between $60 and $120 with no insurance. Below is a list of average prices you might pay for an exam.
| Type of Exam | Cost Without Insurance |
| Periodic Oral Evaluation - Established Patient | $76 |
| Limited Oral Evaluation - Problem Focus | $112 |
| Comprehensive Oral Evaluation - New or Established Patient | $130 |
Why Do I Need to Have a Dental Exam?
Dental exams are an important preventative measure for oral health. They allow dentists or dental hygienists to take a thorough look at the condition of your mouth and recommend any additional actions needed to safeguard your oral health.
Types of Dental Exams
Although most people only imagine there being just one type of dental exam, knowing the difference is important, especially when considering the cost. There are actually three types of dental exams your dentist can administer. These include:
- A Periodic Exam: At your regular six-month cleaning visit, you will receive a periodic exam. During the exam, your dentist will examine all of your teeth, look closely at your gum tissue, maybe give you an oral cancer screening and review any x-rays you took.
- A Limited Exam: A limited exam will focus specifically on a particular problem. This exam is usually performed during emergency visits, or after your dentist sees a problem area in one of your dental x-rays.
- A Comprehensive Exam: This is a thorough exam that shows the dentist the health of your teeth, gums and jaw. A comprehensive exam will also include an oral cancer screening, discussion of previous dental work and, typically, a complete set of dental x-rays (although the cost of dental x-rays is additional). These exams are usually for new patients, or patients who have not been to their dentist in over three years.
Dental Exams and Dental Savings Plans
A dental exam isn’t as pricey as, say, a root canal, but with all of the other fees you need to pay for your dental cleaning, cutting the cost wherever you can go a long way. Here, you’ll see how much our Careington 500 Series Dental Plan can save you on each type of dental exam. The Careington Series Plan is a nationwide plan, but here we’ve pulled just a few sample price lists for residents of California, New York and Texas. You’ll be able to see the benefits of having a discount dental plan by examining these sample prices.
California Careington Members
- Periodic Oral Evaluation – Established Patient: $26
- Pulp Cap Indirect: $39
- Comprehensive Oral Evaluation – New or Established Patient: $44
New York Members
- Periodic Oral Evaluation – Established Patient: $20
- Pulp Cap Indirect: $25
- Comprehensive Oral Evaluation – New or Established Patient: $25
Texas Members
- Periodic Oral Evaluation – Established Patient: $16
- Pulp Cap Indirect: $21
- Comprehensive Oral Evaluation – New or Established Patient: $21
Note: The prices listed above reflect what you can expect to pay at a general dentist that accepts our Careington Care 500 plan, not at a specialist. Specialists in our Careington Care 500 network have agreed to a flat 20% off their prices, which may vary depending on the specialist you see. Add the Dental Access Plan to get 15-50% off at general dentists and specialists, which we recommend when seeing a specialist.
Conclusion
Dental exams are a preventative treatment that can save you a lot of money in the long-run. Try our discount dental plans to make your regular dental visits affordable.
What members are saying:
"...Instead of over $200, my bill for teeth cleaning and exam every 6 months is only about $60."
- June, CO
"My wife and I can't believe how great 1Dental is to help lower dental expenses. Your first cleaning will pay for itself. You won't regret investing in this product."
- Curtis, ND
"We are a family of 5. The cost of the membership pays for itself with what we save after just 2 of us go in for cleanings and exams."
- Kristi E, AZ