How much is dental care in Ontario?

The Ontario Dental Association Fee Guide 2022

In Ontario, almost all dentists follow the current Ontario Dental Association Fee Guide, which contains about 1,300 dental procedures identified by a 5 digit number for each one – the “dental code”. The Guide is not available online. However, the hard copies (about 100 pages long!) are available in the reference section of many public libraries. By the way, the Guide is written in “dentist language”; words like cleaning, check-up, x-rays, and filling are NOT used.

Dentist Prices in Toronto = Dentist Prices Anywhere in Ontario

Although the Ontario Dental Association Fee Guide is “suggested” almost all dentists in Ontario follow it, because most dental insurance companies reimburse based on the ODA fee guide. This is true for procedures typically covered by dental insurance, such as dental cleanings, x-rays, fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns and dentures.

For example, the dental cleaning cost without insurance is the same as with insurance: $123.00 for 30 minutes of scaling.

Dentist prices do differ significantly between dentists for procedures typically NOT covered by insurance such as:

• cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening, veneers, braces
• expensive procedures that insurance companies do not cover, such as dental implants

Dentist prices in Ontario for some of the most common dental procedures:

• Teeth cleaning – $123.00
• Check-up X-rays – $41.00
• Tooth extraction: uncomplicated – $193.00
• Tooth extraction: complicated – $278.00
• White tooth filling: molar (small size) – $209.00
• White tooth filling: molar (medium size) – $261.00
• White tooth filling: molar (large size) – $314.00
• White tooth filling: molar (very large size) – $387.00
• White tooth filling: molar (huge size) – $408.00
• Root canal: front tooth (one canal) – $612.00
• Root canal: molar (three canals) – $1019.00

Are “Dentist price” and “Dental cost” the same? NO!

“Dentist price” and “Dental cost” are not the same!

• “Dentist price” is the price of a specific dental procedure; it is determined by a fee guide.
• “Dental cost” is the total amount of money you will spend at the dentist; because many dental treatments are a combination of multiple dental procedures (“dental codes”). Dental cost is predominately determined by the number of unnecessary dental procedures your dentist recommends.

Dentist prices do not differ much. However, your dental costs will vary greatly depending on which dentist you see. In other words, the price of a specific dental procedure does not differ from dentist to dentist. However, the number and the extent of the dental procedures you will have done depend on who your dentist is!

The differences between dentists are enormous! It’s not uncommon to get 3-5 times more dental work from one dentist than from another. It’s like going to a restaurant: the prices on the restaurant menu are set, just like at a dental clinic. The number of items you order from the restaurant menu is entirely within your control. However, at a dental office, it’s the dentist that is ordering for you! Too much food is not healthy. Likewise, too much dental work reduces your dental and overall health!

Your dentist appointment cost depends on who your dentist is! Is your dentist a business dentist or a doctor dentist?

A curious experiment

There was a curious experiment – a researcher visited 20 dentists across Canada, and the investigation concluded:

• dentists vary in the amount of recommended treatment which causes dental costs to vary greatly from dentist to dentist
• dental cost estimates from the 20 dentists consulted ranged from $144 to $11,931
• the correct amount of treatment, and therefore dental cost, was about $1,900
• 40% of the dentists recommended significantly beyond what should be recommended

Keep in mind that some dentists are more aggressive with dental treatment recommendations than others!

Your dental care is your responsibility!

The fundamental reason dental care is not part of the Canadian national health insurance plan is that “as a culture, we made the decision that brushing and flossing your teeth and going to the dentist regularly for preventative care was your responsibility and your family’s responsibility — and not the state’s.”

Don’t forget to add private dental insurance to your family health care that can help offset the expenses of common dental treatments and oral surgery that OHIP does not cover.