Cavity Filling Cost With and Without Insurance (and How Long It Takes)

Without insurance, a basic cavity filling typically costs about $100 to $400 per tooth. Insurer Cigna puts the average at about $160 for a silver (amalgam) filling and $191 for a tooth-colored (composite) one. With insurance, many plans pay around 80% after the deductible, so you might pay roughly $40 to $80. Most fillings take about an hour.

How much does a filling cost without insurance?

Without insurance, you pay the dentist’s full fee. Typical ranges per tooth:

Averages are from Cigna; ranges are from GoodRx’s cost guide. Prices change with location and the dentist, so treat these as a starting point, not a quote.

What makes one filling cost more than another:

• Material. Composite usually costs more than amalgam. Lab-made gold or porcelain costs the most.
• Size and number of surfaces. Dentists bill fillings by how many surfaces of the tooth they cover. A small one-surface filling costs less than one that wraps around three or four surfaces.
• Which tooth. Back teeth are harder to reach and take more chewing force, and some offices charge more for them.
• Where you live. Fees in big coastal cities are often higher than in smaller towns.
• Extras. An exam or X-rays on the same visit are billed separately. If the decay turns out to be deep, a filling can become a bigger job.

If you aren’t sure whether you have a cavity yet, our guides to what a cavity looks like and how to know if you have one explain the signs.

How much do fillings cost with insurance?

Most US dental plans sort care into three groups, often paid at 100%, 80% and 50%. Preventive care like cleanings is usually covered in full. Fillings typically fall under “basic” services. Crowns, bridges and implants are “major” and paid at a lower rate.

As an example, one 2025 employer Delta Dental plan pays fillings at 80% after a $50 yearly deductible, pays crowns at 50%, and caps benefits at $1,750 per person per year with in-network dentists. Your plan may differ, but this structure is common.

Here is what that means for a single composite filling at the $191 average:

These are worked examples using average prices, not quotes. In-network dentists agree to set fees with the insurer, which can be lower than their regular price, so your real share may be smaller. Out of network, you may owe the difference between the dentist’s fee and what the plan allows.

Things that change your share:

• The “alternate benefit” rule. Some plans pay for a tooth-colored filling on a back tooth only at the price of an amalgam filling. You pay the gap. Plan documents may call this an alternate benefit or a downgrade.
• The annual maximum. Plans stop paying once they reach a yearly cap, often somewhere around $1,000 to $2,000. A filling rarely hits it on its own, but a year with crowns or a root canal can.
• Waiting periods. Some individual plans don’t cover basic care like fillings until you have been enrolled for a set time.
• Frequency limits. Some plans won’t pay to replace the same filling within a set number of years.

The surest way to know your cost is to ask the office for a pre-treatment estimate. They send the planned treatment to your insurer, which replies with what it will pay.

How long does it take to fill a cavity?

Colgate’s patient guide puts a typical filling at about an hour. A small filling on an easy-to-reach tooth can be quicker; a large one on a back molar takes longer. If you have several cavities, your dentist may decide to fill them over more than one visit.

A typical appointment goes like this:

1. The dentist numbs the area with a local anesthetic. 2. The decay is removed with a drill or laser. 3. The space is shaped and cleaned. For a composite filling, the tooth is often etched with a gel first. 4. The filling material goes in. Composite is placed in layers and hardened with a blue curing light. 5. The filling is shaped and polished, and your bite is checked.

The numbness fades after you leave. Some sensitivity or soreness for up to a couple of days afterward is normal, according to Colgate’s guide. If it lasts or gets worse, tell your dentist.

Lab-made fillings (inlays and onlays) usually take two visits, one to prepare the tooth and take an impression and one to place the final piece.

Amalgam or composite: is the cheaper filling worse?

Not necessarily. Amalgam is cheaper, quick to place and very durable on back teeth. A Cochrane review of eight trials found low-certainty evidence that composite fillings in back teeth may fail almost twice as often as amalgam, mostly because of new decay around the edges. Composite matches your tooth color and needs less healthy tooth removed, which is why many people choose it, especially for front teeth.

Amalgam contains mercury. The FDA does not recommend removing intact amalgam fillings to prevent disease, because removal takes away healthy tooth and briefly increases mercury vapor. If you have a mercury allergy or kidney or nerve disease, it’s worth discussing your options with your dentist.

When a filling isn’t enough

A filling repairs a limited area. If decay or a crack has taken out a large part of the tooth, a dentist may suggest a dental crown instead, which typically costs about $1,000 to $2,500 before insurance. If decay reaches the nerve, a root canal may come first. Small cavities are the cheapest to fix, which is one reason regular checkups pay off.

Ways to pay less for a filling

• Use an in-network dentist. In-network fees are set with your insurer and are often lower than the dentist’s regular price.
• Dental school clinics. The NIDCR notes that dental schools often offer care at reduced cost, with students closely supervised by licensed dentists. Dental hygiene schools may offer low-cost cleanings too.
• Community health centers. Federally funded health centers charge based on income. You can search for one through HRSA’s “Find a Health Center” tool.
• HSA or FSA. The IRS lists fillings as a qualifying medical expense, so you can pay with pre-tax money from a health savings account or flexible spending account.
• Medicaid and CHIP. States must cover dental care for children on Medicaid, and CHIP covers children up to age 19. Adult dental coverage is each state’s choice; the NIDCR notes most states offer only limited adult services.
• Medicare. Medicare doesn’t cover fillings in most cases. If you have a private Medicare plan or a separate dental plan, check what it includes.
• Discount plans and payment plans. Dental savings plans give members reduced fees at participating dentists for a yearly fee. Many offices also offer payment plans; ask before treatment.
• Ask for an itemized estimate. Knowing the code and fee for each item lets you compare offices or ask about an amalgam option if cost matters most.

When to see a dentist

See a dentist if you have a tooth that is sensitive to sweets, hot or cold, a visible hole or dark spot, food that keeps catching in one place, or pain when you bite. Early cavities often cause no symptoms, so regular checkups and X-rays are how many are found. Get prompt care for a toothache that lasts more than a day or two, swelling in your face or gums, a pimple-like bump on the gum, or fever with tooth pain. Those can mean an infection, and our emergency dentist guide explains what counts as urgent.

Frequently asked questions