One of the first things many patients wonder about when they hear they need porcelain veneers is what the price is. Veneers can be a great way to protect a formerly damaged part of the tooth and to improve the overall appearance of the teeth as well. However, the average cost of porcelain veneers can be well above what some patients can afford, especially if more than one tooth needs this improvement. Because of these issues, it’s important for patients to do all the research possible ahead of time to learn what the average cost of this procedure is in your specific area of the country.
The question of reasonable cost can be very difficult to answer. Location has a lot to do with what the charges will be. Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Greenwich Connecticut are all very expensive areas to live in and you can expect average prices for any type of service to be many times what it would be in another part of the country. If you’re living in the South or the Midwest chances are prices might be quite a bit cheaper than the rest of the country for dental veneer work, especially if you’re not living in the major cities. However, as a large general rule of thumb, the average cost of porcelain veneers nationally ranges from $900 to $1300 per tooth, although a wider array of $600 to $2000 is also sometimes mentioned as an acceptable range for what the average price of this dental procedure is going to be.
So how do you narrow down this very wide average range to figure out what a reasonable price is? In this case a lot of local investigation will be in order. Check online for a list of dentists in your area who actually do veneer work and see if you can get estimates from each one. This will give you a much better idea of the range of pricing in your area and whether you’re looking at several hundred or a couple thousand. Normally with this type of procedure it is safe to assume that every quote is per tooth and there will be no discount given for getting multiple teeth worked on at the same time.
The average cost of porcelain veneer work may also depend partially on the choices between dental services in an area. As a general rule of thumb, private dentistry practices are going to charge you the most for any type of work while going to a local dental college is going to lead to the cheapest prices anyone offers. The latter will give you discounts because you offer valuable training to students and residents while private practices charge more because of the skill of the dentist and having the comfort of familiarity.
In the end, the only way to determine local average price ranges for veneer dental work is to check out the local options that are actually available to you in your area.