Whether you need a routine dental exam, a root canal, or a comprehensive orthodontic treatment, price is an important factor to consider. When thinking about dental treatment, many people immediately think: “How much does this cost?”
According to a study performed in 2014, the cost of dental services is among the most common reasons Canadians avoid going to the dentist.
In 2018, the Alberta Dental Association (ADA) introduced the Alberta Dental Fee Guide to help patients better understand dental service prices. Today, we’ll review the Alberta Dental Fee Guide and how the prices have changed in 2025. We’ll break down some of the costs associated with the most common services.
At Southgate Dental, we pride ourselves on providing transparent answers to your dental-related questions, including the fees associated with services and treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our team, or request an appointment with us to get the dental care you deserve.
How Does Insurance Help?
When it comes to getting the care you need, we want to help make your experience as easy and convenient for you as possible. Not only do we accept insurance and will bill directly, but we can also develop personalized payment plans to help you get the services you need without stressing about the costs with interest rates as low as 0%.
However, not all insurance plans cover the same services and fees. Before you visit us for an appointment, please get in touch with your insurance provider to learn more about your coverage. Some plans may only cover the cost of exams and cleanings, while others may cover dental surgeries, orthodontics, and various restorative procedures.
What Do These Prices Mean?
The following dental fees are set by the ADA every year.
There is an average of a 4.15% increase in the fee guide this year whereas last year was a 5.62% increase over 2023. This year’s increase is equal to a 5% increase in the diagnostic fees and a 4% increase in all other fees.
For more information on dental fees, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Preventative Dentistry
A dental exam is one of the most common services provided by our team. During these exams, we will assess your oral health and look for tooth decay, gum disease, and other common oral health problems.
Then, we’ll professionally clean your teeth to remove plaque and tartar so it doesn’t cause further problems in the future. We recommend you schedule a dental cleaning on average once every 6 months. Depending on your oral health needs, we may recommend more or less frequent visits.
Dental Exams (Not Including X-Rays)
The following fees are provided by the 2025 Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
- Dental exams for children with only baby teeth: $85.91
- Dental exams for children with adult and baby teeth: $117.09
- Dental exams for adults: $137.65
These fees vary if additional services are required.
Dental X-Rays
- Single panoramic: $106.61
- 2 bitewings: $57.33
- 4 bitewings: $105.38
Dental Cleanings & Preventative Treatment
There are multiple steps to a cleaning, each with its costs. However, prices increase for every 15 minutes of time (also known as a unit of time) spent on a particular service. The prices below reflect the cost of a 15-minute service. For more information, please visit the fee guide.
- Polishing (one unit time or 15 minutes): $74.40
- Polishing (Half unit of time): $37.20
- Scaling (one unit time or 15 minutes): $83.51
- Fluoride treatment: $36.05
- Sealant (single tooth): $40.57
Mouthguards
Mouthguards are a highly effective way to safeguard your teeth. They serve as a preventive measure that can save you the significant cost of repairing major oral damage.
- Protective mouthguard: $115.49 + lab costs
- Bruxism appliance: $520.50 + lab costs
Restorative Dental Services
Restorative dentistry describes a group of services that help restore the look and function of your smile. Prices can vary depending on the materials used, the teeth we treat, and whether we treat adult or baby teeth.
Fillings
If you have a cavity, we’ll need to remove the decay from your teeth. To restore function and protect your teeth from further tooth decay, we will fill the area with tooth-like materials known as a filling.
Silver Coloured Fillings on Molars
- Fillings for baby teeth 2 surfaces: $168.73
- Fillings for adult teeth 2 surfaces: $238.75
Tooth Coloured Fillings
- Fillings for adult front teeth:
- 1 surface: $166.47
- 2 surfaces: $199.26
- 3 surfaces: $260.68
- Fillings for adult premolars:
- 1 surface: $174.53
- 2 surfaces: $243.13
- 3 surfaces: $284.75
- Fillings for adult molars:
- 1 surface: $201.73
- 2 surfaces: $257.19
- 3 surfaces: $322.06
- Fillings for baby molars:
- 2 surfaces: $222.14
Crowns
Crowns, also known as caps, are a restorative service to help restore function to decayed or damaged teeth. With the help of a partnering lab or a CEREC machine, crowns are created using metal and/or porcelain-like materials. We then cement over the top of your natural tooth or an implant.
The cost of a crown varies for adult teeth. This depends on the laboratory costs, which include the cost of gold, silver, or porcelain-like materials needed to mould the crown to your teeth.
- Stainless steel crown for a back baby tooth: $247.55
- Metal/porcelain crown for adults: $1026.34 + lab costs
- Cast metal crown (including gold) for adults: $1026.34 + lab costs
Root Canals
If tooth decay finds its way to your tooth pulp or trauma, it can cause an infection and inflammation. This can possibly lead to uncomfortable symptoms and further problems. If this situation develops, we’ll need to perform a root canal to remove the infection and protect your oral health.
Once we remove the pulp tissue, we’ll fill the space with tooth-like materials to help restore function to your teeth.
In some cases, we may need to treat multiple canals into the tooth to fully remove the infection, which can add to the cost of treatment. The permanent restoration, whether it be a filling or a crown, is not included in the price of the root canal.
A pulpotomy on a primary tooth:
- 1 canal: $94.27
If a root canal is required for adult teeth:
Implants & Bridges
There are numerous reasons why we recommend a bridge or a dental implant to help restore the look and function of a lost tooth, but these services can range dramatically in price.
For a dental implant, these costs are determined on a case-by-case basis. You may require numerous steps to complete the treatment, like an extraction, a bone graft, an implant surgery, and a crown.
However, the ADA does provide a look into the cost of bridges, which we’ve included below.
It’s important to remember that these costs don’t reflect the lab fees associated with creating the bridge we’ll use to restore your smile. For a better understanding of the fees you might need to pay, please request an appointment with us.
Bridges
Dental bridges involve at least 3 teeth, 2 retainers, and one pontic.
- Porcelain fused to metal crowns for holding the bridge (retainer): $1122.15 + lab costs
- Porcelain fused to metal artificial teeth used for bridge (pontic): $545.72 + lab costs
Invisalign & Orthodontics
The cost of Invisalign at Southgate Dental Centre starts at $4995.00 for simple cases and goes up to $6250.00 for more complicated cases.
Because every smile is different, it is difficult to determine how long you may need Invisalign treatment until we perform a complete oral exam and identify the issues you might be experiencing. Sometimes, we’ll recommend additional services like a dental cleaning or filling before starting an Invisalign treatment.
Teeth Whitening
Whether you’re looking for at-home with trays or in-office whitening, please check for current pricing (which is subject to change) with the front-desk staff.
This procedure is not covered by dental insurance plans so you should get an estimate before you start.
Dental Surgery
There are several dental surgeries, but the most common include tooth extractions and wisdom teeth removal. Prices can vary depending on your surgery, but the most common difference is between erupted (exposed) and impacted (unexposed) teeth.
- Uncomplicated erupted tooth extraction: $167.02
- Complication erupted tooth extraction: $301.22
The Canada Dental Care Plan
The federal government of Canada has a program designed to make dental care more affordable for eligible Canadian residents. As of January 2025, this program, called the Canadian Dental Care Plan, is still in process, and applications are open for:
- Seniors aged 65 and over
- Children under the age of 18
- Adults with a valid federal Disability Tax Credit certificate for 2023
For adults between the ages of 19-64, there are plans to include you in the CDCP in 2025, but may change upon election results. At the current time, the following would be your requirements:
- You do not have access to dental insurance
- You and your spouse or common-law partner have filed your tax returns for the previous year
- Your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000
- You’re a Canadian citizen for tax purposes
This information may change throughout the year. Always refer to the official Canadian Government website for accurate and up-to-date information regarding the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Here for Your Dental Needs
Please feel free to contact the team at Southgate Dental Centre today if you have questions. We’ll be happy to walk you through the estimated costs of your treatment and work with your insurance provider to help you achieve the smile you deserve.
