verified_userOpen data • No API key • CC BY 4.0 • OpenAPI 3.1

Free Dental Cost API: Open JSON Data for Developers & AI Agents

Our dental cost data is available as a free, open JSON API — no key, no signup, CORS enabled. Static versioned endpoints cover all 51 U.S. state markets and 12 procedures, documented with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec, under CC BY 4.0.

Try it now

# All 51 state markets, cheapest to priciest
curl https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/states.json

# Full cost profile for one state (lowercase two-letter code)
curl https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/state/tx.json

# The 12 tracked procedures, national figures
curl https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedures.json

# One procedure across all 51 states
curl https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/procedure/dental-implant.json

# Dataset metadata: edition, DOIs, license, versioning policy
curl https://realdentalcosts.com/api/v1/index/meta.json

Endpoints

Endpoint	Returns
/api/v1/index/meta.json	Edition, DOIs, license, versioning policy, endpoint index
/api/v1/states.json	The 51 state markets ranked on the Restorative Cost Index
/api/v1/state/`{code}`.json	One state: observed series, 12 procedure price bands, Medicaid acceptance — e.g. state/ca.json
/api/v1/procedures.json	The 12 procedures with national low/avg/high and pricing basis
/api/v1/procedure/`{slug}`.json	One procedure across all 51 states — e.g. procedure/dental-crown.json
/api/v1/openapi.json	Machine-readable OpenAPI 3.1 specification

State codes are lowercase two-letter USPS codes (al … wy, plus dc). Procedure slugs are stable: exam-cleaning-xrays, composite-filling, deep-cleaning-srp, tooth-extraction, teeth-whitening, root-canal, dental-crown, porcelain-veneer, braces, dental-implant, dentures, all-on-4.

How to read the data

Every procedure entry declares its basis:

Basis	Meaning
`observed`	The state average is a measured price (our own implant series, or ASQ360/CareCredit for crown, veneer, braces, dentures). The low/high band around it is modelled from national ratios, not an observed percentile.
`estimated`	No per-state source exists; the national figure is scaled by the state's Restorative Cost Index. Valid only for restorative procedures.
`national`	Cosmetic procedure with no per-state source — no state variation is invented; every state carries the national range.

The Restorative Cost Index (100 = national observed implant average) is valid only for implant, crown and denture prices, which correlate at 0.93–0.96. It does not predict orthodontic or cosmetic prices — see our data corrections log for why we insist on this.

Attribution (required)

The data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Any use — app, dashboard, article, AI answer, research — must credit Real Dental Costs with a link to https://realdentalcosts.com or cite the dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728. Ready-to-copy APA and BibTeX citations are on the cite this data page.

Versioning

/api/v1/ is a stable contract: existing fields never change meaning or disappear; new fields may be added. Breaking changes, if ever needed, will ship under /api/v2/ with v1 kept online. Data refreshes bump the edition field in every payload (current edition: 2026.1; the T4-2026 quarterly edition is announced for October 2026).

Prefer raw files? The same data is published as CSV datasets with permanent DOIs. The full collection and validation methodology is documented on our methodology page and in the US Dental Cost Index report. This API serves pricing and market research data — it is not medical, dental or insurance advice.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an API key?

No. Every endpoint is a static, publicly cached JSON file with open CORS headers. There is no authentication, no rate-limit tier and no signup. Attribution under CC BY 4.0 is the only requirement.

Can I use this API in a commercial product?

Yes. The data is licensed CC BY 4.0, which allows commercial use, redistribution and derivative works, as long as you attribute Real Dental Costs with a link to https://realdentalcosts.com or cite the dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728.

Will the API change and break my integration?

v1 is a stable contract: existing fields never change meaning or disappear, new fields may be added. Any breaking change would ship under /api/v2/ with v1 kept online. Each payload carries an edition field so you can detect data refreshes.

Where do the numbers come from?

Every value is generated at build time from our published datasets: our own observed implant price series (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728), ASQ360/CareCredit procedural cost series for crown, veneer, braces and dentures, and public insurance sources for Medicaid acceptance. Each payload declares a basis field (observed, estimated or national) per procedure, and the full methodology is public.

Researched & verified by the Real Dental Costs Data & Research Team

Independent dental pricing research — every series carries a named source, and corrections are logged publicly. Not medical advice.

Reviewed: July 30, 2026How we verify our data

Data Methodology & Sources

The Real Dental Costs Data & Research Team publishes the source of every series. Single-implant prices are our own observed dataset, published openly (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20531728). Braces, veneer, crown and denture prices are from the Average Procedural Cost Study conducted by ASQ360° Market Research for Synchrony's CareCredit. Remaining procedures are compiled from published payer and provider fee data (2024–2026) and are national estimates that vary by provider and location. Corrections are logged publicly.

Pricing & Research Disclaimer: Real Dental Costs publishes independent dental pricing and market-research data for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. Costs vary by provider and location — always consult a licensed dentist for clinical guidance and an exact quote.