{ "meta": { "api_version": "v1", "edition": "2026.1", "generated_at": "2026-07-30T16:57:22.144Z", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "attribution_required": true, "attribution": "Real Dental Costs — https://realdentalcosts.com", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20531728", "methodology": "https://realdentalcosts.com/en/methodology/", "docs": "https://realdentalcosts.com/en/api/", "disclaimer": "Independent pricing and market research. NOT medical, dental or insurance advice." }, "state": "California", "code": "CA", "restorative_cost_index": { "value": 127, "note": "Restorative Cost Index (implant-based, 100 = national observed implant average). Valid ONLY for the restorative regime (implant / crown / denture, mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). It does NOT predict orthodontic (braces) or cosmetic (veneer) prices — never rank those with it. See /en/data-corrections/." }, "affordability_score": 10, "medicaid": { "pct_dentists_accepting": 32.6, "adult_dental_coverage_level": "extensive", "source": "https://realdentalcosts.com/data/us-dental-insurance-acceptance-by-state-2026.csv", "doi": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20666358" }, "observed_state_averages_usd": { "note": "Measured state averages. implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series; veneer/crown/braces/denture = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study (2023-2024). Attribute the source when displayed.", "implant": 5733, "crown": 2331, "veneer": 1663, "braces": 6087, "denture_full_both_arches": 2488 }, "procedures": [ { "id": "exam", "slug": "exam-cleaning-xrays", "label": "Exam, cleaning & X-rays", "category": "preventive", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 65, "avg_usd": 260, "high_usd": 445, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/exam-cleaning-xrays.json" }, { "id": "filling", "slug": "composite-filling", "label": "Composite filling (1 tooth)", "category": "basic", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 115, "avg_usd": 285, "high_usd": 570, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/composite-filling.json" }, { "id": "deepclean", "slug": "deep-cleaning-srp", "label": "Deep cleaning (SRP, per quadrant)", "category": "basic", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 215, "avg_usd": 305, "high_usd": 445, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/deep-cleaning-srp.json" }, { "id": "extraction", "slug": "tooth-extraction", "label": "Tooth extraction", "category": "basic", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 95, "avg_usd": 380, "high_usd": 1015, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/tooth-extraction.json" }, { "id": "rootcanal", "slug": "root-canal", "label": "Root canal", "category": "major", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 635, "avg_usd": 1395, "high_usd": 1905, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/root-canal.json" }, { "id": "allon4", "slug": "all-on-4", "label": "All-on-4 (per arch)", "category": "excluded", "basis": "estimated", "basis_note": "No per-state source exists. The national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Defensible only inside the restorative regime (procedures mutually correlated 0.93-0.96). Treat as an estimate.", "low_usd": 14785, "avg_usd": 19275, "high_usd": 34925, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/all-on-4.json" }, { "id": "whitening", "slug": "teeth-whitening", "label": "Professional teeth whitening", "category": "cosmetic", "basis": "national", "basis_note": "Cosmetic procedure with no per-state source. Cosmetic pricing does not follow restorative geography, so no state variation is invented: every state carries the national range.", "low_usd": 300, "avg_usd": 650, "high_usd": 1000, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/teeth-whitening.json" }, { "id": "crown", "slug": "dental-crown", "label": "Dental crown", "category": "major", "basis": "observed", "basis_note": "The state AVERAGE is a measured price (implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728, validated against ASQ360 at Spearman 0.945; crown/veneer/braces/dentures = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study 2023-2024). The [low, high] band around the state average is MODELLED from published national ratios, not an observed percentile.", "low_usd": 1780, "avg_usd": 2331, "high_usd": 3970, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/dental-crown.json" }, { "id": "veneer", "slug": "porcelain-veneer", "label": "Porcelain veneer (per tooth)", "category": "cosmetic", "basis": "observed", "basis_note": "The state AVERAGE is a measured price (implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728, validated against ASQ360 at Spearman 0.945; crown/veneer/braces/dentures = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study 2023-2024). The [low, high] band around the state average is MODELLED from published national ratios, not an observed percentile.", "low_usd": 470, "avg_usd": 1663, "high_usd": 2730, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/porcelain-veneer.json" }, { "id": "braces", "slug": "braces", "label": "Braces (traditional, full case)", "category": "ortho", "basis": "observed", "basis_note": "The state AVERAGE is a measured price (implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728, validated against ASQ360 at Spearman 0.945; crown/veneer/braces/dentures = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study 2023-2024). The [low, high] band around the state average is MODELLED from published national ratios, not an observed percentile.", "low_usd": 2400, "avg_usd": 6087, "high_usd": 9595, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/braces.json" }, { "id": "implant", "slug": "dental-implant", "label": "Single dental implant (complete)", "category": "excluded", "basis": "observed", "basis_note": "The state AVERAGE is a measured price (implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728, validated against ASQ360 at Spearman 0.945; crown/veneer/braces/dentures = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study 2023-2024). The [low, high] band around the state average is MODELLED from published national ratios, not an observed percentile.", "low_usd": 4780, "avg_usd": 5733, "high_usd": 7290, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/dental-implant.json" }, { "id": "dentures", "slug": "dentures", "label": "Full set of dentures (both arches)", "category": "major", "basis": "observed", "basis_note": "The state AVERAGE is a measured price (implant = Real Dental Costs' own observed series, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728, validated against ASQ360 at Spearman 0.945; crown/veneer/braces/dentures = ASQ360/CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study 2023-2024). The [low, high] band around the state average is MODELLED from published national ratios, not an observed percentile.", "low_usd": 1920, "avg_usd": 2488, "high_usd": 4610, "url": "https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/dentures.json" } ] }