How Much Does a Tooth Cavity Filling Cost?

For a concrete U.S. planning range, two published fee schedules list a tooth-colored filling on a back tooth at $170–$398 per tooth before insurance. The lower figures cover one surface of the tooth; the higher figures cover four or more surfaces. This is not a national average, and an exam or X-rays can increase the total first-visit bill.

A dental plan can produce a lower contracted price or copayment. Location, tooth surfaces, material, diagnostic services and whether the tooth can still be repaired with a filling all affect what you pay.

Published filling-price examples

These schedules illustrate the range, but they are not interchangeable:

Published schedule	One-surface posterior composite	Four-or-more-surface posterior composite
Iredell County, North Carolina, clinic fee (effective July 1, 2026)	$170	$310
Coast Dental 2025 nonmember fee	$212	$398
Kaiser/LIBERTY 2026 member payment at a participating general dentist	$117	$220

Sources: Iredell County’s 2026–27 clinic fee schedule, Coast Dental’s 2025 fee schedule and Kaiser Permanente’s 2026 dental benefits and fee schedule. The Kaiser amounts apply only under that plan at participating offices; they are not general cash prices.

For a local comparison, Delta Dental’s cost estimator uses geographic areas defined by the first three digits of a ZIP code. Its “cost without insurance” estimates use submitted claims from out-of-network dentists, but the tool cautions that estimates do not guarantee benefits or the amount a particular dentist will charge.

What changes the price?

Number of tooth surfaces

An office does not simply code “one filling.” The procedure identifies how many tooth surfaces the restoration covers, and the published schedules above charge more for additional surfaces. Iredell County, for example, lists posterior composite fees of $170 for one surface, $208 for two, $260 for three and $310 for four or more.

Ask for the procedure code, tooth number and surfaces on the written estimate. Common composite codes include:

• D2330–D2335: composite restorations on front teeth
• D2391–D2394: composite restorations on back teeth

For front teeth, D2335 also applies when the restoration involves an incisal angle—the corner where the biting edge meets a side—even if fewer than four surfaces are involved, according to the ADA’s anterior-restoration coding guide.

Material and tooth location

A quote should identify whether the filling is tooth-colored composite or amalgam. The office fee and the insurer’s allowance may differ by material and tooth. Material alone does not settle which restoration is suitable; the location and extent of the repair also matter. See white versus silver fillings for the practical differences.

Exam and dental images

A new-patient or problem-focused visit may add an examination and dental images. On the Iredell County schedule, for example, a limited problem-focused exam is $82 and one bitewing image is $37. Ask whether these services are included in the estimate, billed separately or already completed recently enough that they need not be repeated.

Whether a filling is sufficient

A filling quote is not comparable with a plan for a crown or root canal. A large-looking cavity does not automatically require root canal treatment, but the condition of the tooth’s pulp—the soft tissue inside—can change the treatment. Review deep filling versus root canal and filling versus crown before comparing different plans.

What might insurance pay?

There is no standard patient share. As an illustration—not a promise about a particular policy—the ADA describes a typical PPO design with 80% coverage for basic restorative care after a $50 deductible. It also notes that the percentage applies to the insurer’s maximum allowable fee; network status and an annual maximum can affect the bill (ADA introduction to dental benefits).

If an in-network allowed fee is $200 and a plan pays 80% after the deductible:

• if the deductible has been met, the estimated patient share is $40;
• if a $50 deductible remains, the estimated patient share is $80: the $50 deductible plus 20% of the remaining $150.

That example assumes the filling is covered, the annual maximum has not been reached and no other plan rule changes payment. Exclusions, waiting periods, frequency limits, alternative-material provisions and the final submitted code can all alter the claim.

Adult dental coverage is not automatically included in Marketplace medical plans. HealthCare.gov says adult dental is not an essential health benefit, health plans do not have to include it, and separate adult dental plans may have waiting periods (Marketplace dental coverage).

Questions to ask about a filling estimate

Request the estimate in writing, then ask:

1. Which tooth, material, surfaces and procedure code are quoted?
2. Are the examination and X-rays included or separate?
3. What is the office’s cash fee, and what is my plan’s in-network allowed fee?
4. Has my deductible been met, and how much of my annual maximum remains?
5. Can the office send a pre-treatment estimate to my insurer?
6. If the decay is more extensive than expected, what alternative treatment might be recommended, and what would it cost?

A pre-treatment estimate is useful but is not a payment guarantee; the insurer processes the actual claim under the plan terms in effect when care is provided.

If cost is a barrier, ask whether any care can safely be staged and whether the office knows of community health centers or dental-school clinics. Dental schools may charge less but require longer appointments and screen patients for teaching suitability. The University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, for example, says its supervised student-clinic fees are normally 40%–60% below private-practice fees, most procedures last about three hours, and patient selection reflects students’ educational needs.

Do not delay care merely to keep shopping if you have facial or jaw swelling, fever or signs of an abscess; seek urgent dental assessment. Difficulty breathing, speaking or swallowing, substantial mouth swelling, or swelling around an eye warrants emergency medical care, according to the NHS dental-abscess guidance.