The shocking difference between the prices of dental care in the world’s most advanced countries has been revealed.
Dental care in America is the most expensive of the G7 countries, costing an average of $518.
Germany and Italy are the cheapest, costing $210 and $173 respectively.
Healthnews focused on five basic 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, with an average of 50 information sources per country, including online health forums, relevant government pages and healthcare price comparison websites. Prices were converted to US dollars.
The US was the most expensive country for each procedure, with a crown there costing three times as much as in Italy at $1,052 compared to $308.
A regular cleaning in America costs about $163, while more complicated procedures will cost you $838 for a root canal and $305 for a tooth extraction.
In America, the dental care system consists primarily of private practices, supported by various payment methods, including insurance, direct payments, and some government programs for those who qualify.
These include Medicaid, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Part F Program, and the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
But insurance plans often have maximum limits and high deductibles, which means people can end up paying a lot for the dental care they need.
Despite high costs in America, people access care relatively quickly.
According to a 2022 survey, the average wait time for an initial dental appointment in the US was 10 days, Statista reported.
In the UK, by comparison, some patients were asked to wait up to three years for appointments and six weeks for emergency care.
Canada is the second most expensive country in which to get your teeth taken care of, with an average of $414 for treatment.
People who live here can pay about $136 for a cleaning and nearly $1,000 for a crown — a tooth-shaped cap that restores a worn, broken, weak or worn tooth.
In Canada, dental care operates separately from the universal health care system and primarily through private clinics.
While hospital and physician services are covered by government health care plans for most Canadians, dental services are not, meaning that access to affordable dental services remains a challenge for many Canadians.
Compared to the US and the UK, it is relatively cheap to have a tooth extracted in Canada – it will cost you $198.
According to the Canadian Dental Association, Canadians have some of the best access to oral care in the world and wait times are among the shortest in the world.
Three out of four Canadians visit a dentist at least once a year and 84 per cent of Canadians believe they have good or excellent oral health.
In the UK, an average dental procedure costs $331. Cleaning is one of the lowest at $92 and crowns are much less than in America at $627.
The system includes both the National Health Service (NHS) and private dental practices.
The NHS looks after tests, treatments such as fillings and extractions and some cosmetic treatments if medically necessary.
However, there is a severe lack of funding for NHS dentistry that has been escalating for years, which has led to an increase in people attempting DIY treatments at home.
While private dentists generally offer more flexible appointments and shorter waiting lists, many are still oversubscribed.
Costs are also significantly higher and vary widely across the UK.
In France, the average dental procedure costs $246. Exports and dental fillings are almost half the price they are in the UK, at $126 and $135 respectively, compared to $238 and $215 in England.
The cleaning costs $115 while the crown costs $418.
In theory, the French healthcare system reimburses 70 percent of the cost of most dental treatments using state social insurance, with an option for private health insurance to cover the final 30 percent.
However, the actual prices that dentists charge are often significantly higher than the state’s recommended prices, which means that their out-of-pocket costs can be high.
In Japan, a tooth extraction costs $204, while a cleaning is a modest $121. The Japanese health insurance system covers most dental treatments, including routine checkups, fillings, and root canal treatments.
Patients tend to pay 30 percent of treatment costs, which makes dental care affordable and prevents citizens from incurring 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 such as fillings. Cleanings generally cost $89 while crowns can be as much as $323.
Italy has the most affordable dental care of all the countries studied, being the only country where some average procedures fall below $100.
Cleaning services cost $78, while tooth extraction costs $97.
Italy’s National Health Service offers some dental services for free or at reduced prices, focusing on prevention through regular check-ups, basic fillings, tooth extractions and emergency care.
And in the private sector, dental treatments are more affordable in Italy than in many parts of northern European countries and the US. This is partly due to the lower cost of living in the country.
However, the waiting time can be long in Italy. Waiting times in the Italian NHS vary considerably, so you can wait a week or a few months, but in the private system, you can usually get an appointment faster, even within 24 hours, according to Expatica.
