Teeth-cleaning is one of the most basic and primary dental procedures if you haven’t seen a dentist for a while. Teeth cleaning cost is mostly paid out of pocket unlike other health related treatments. You may find yourself paying more out of your own pocket for teeth cleaning even if you had a dental insurance policy. It is handy therefore to know beforehand what you might be going to pay for getting your teeth cleaned.
Tartar may develop even if you take special care of your teeth and brush and floss them regularly. Therefore it is recommended to get your teeth cleaned professionally by a dental hygienist. The goal is to keep you from developing gum diseases which are the primary causes of tooth loss among adults. Most of the professional dentists recommend the teeth be cleaned at least once every 1 or 2 years.
The cost of the teeth cleaning procedure depends primarily on two factors; the extent of the area to be cleaned and the depth of the pockets. Depth of the pocket determines the depth your dentist will have to go to remove the tartar or calculus. As for the extent of the cleaning area, it pertains to the four quadrants into which a human mouth is broken down. Dentists generally charge you per quadrant of cleaning they have to perform. In case of more extensive cleaning, dentist might have to anesthetize some specific areas to make them numb. Depending upon these factors, dental cleaning may cost you anywhere from $ 40 or $ 50 to a few hundred dollars.
It may not be very pleasant for you but differences in quality of dentist translate into differences in prices when it comes to teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning cost may range from $40 to $115 for standard teeth cleaning and dental examination. You can expect to get a better deal if you choose to see a relatively younger dentist who is trying to build his practice and accepting new patients.
Another very important thing to consider which affects the cost of teeth cleaning is some X-Rays that may be required before cleaning the teeth of new patients. These X-Rays are sometimes needed to locate the development of potential problems inside the teeth. These are generally covered under dental insurances or discount plans. They might cost from $90 to $180 for a complete series otherwise.
Dental insurances often cover all or part of the cost for a particular number of cleanings per year. It is however, always a wise thing to look into the details of your particular insurance plan to be aware of the amount you will be expected to pay when going for getting your teeth cleaned. Besides, you might also like to know about the annual limit that most of the plans have in place. It is important to have that limit in mind because you may have already reached that limit and may end up paying everything out of your own pocket.
