Editorial policy

Every number on this site should be one you can act on. Here is exactly how we work.

How price ranges are researched

1. Fee surveys first. We start from published U.S. dental fee data — industry fee surveys, insurer fee schedules, and consumer cost databases such as FAIR Health.
2. Real-world checks. We compare survey data against price lists that dental practices, dental schools, and community clinics publish openly.
3. Ranges over averages. A single average hides the reality that fees vary 3–4× between regions and providers. We publish the range a fair written quote should fall into, and flag when a price outside it deserves scrutiny.

Sourcing standards

Guides cite their sources at the end of the article. We prioritize, in order: government and public-health bodies (CDC, NIH/NIDCR, HRSA), professional associations (ADA and specialty academies), peer-reviewed research, and established consumer cost databases. We do not cite marketing pages as evidence for prices.

Updates

Dental fees drift every year. Each guide displays its last update date. We re-check guides against new fee data at least annually, and immediately when a reader flags a number that no longer matches reality.

Medical review

Cost research is editorial work. Clinical statements — what a procedure involves, when it's needed, recovery expectations — are written from professional-association and public-health sources. Where a licensed dentist has additionally reviewed a guide, they are named at the top with their credentials. We never invent reviewers, and unreviewed guides are not labeled as reviewed.

Independence & advertising

Advertisers and partners have no access to our content before publication and no influence over our numbers. Ads are visually separated from content; partner links are marked. Details: advertising disclosure.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix the page, update its date, and — for substantive errors — note the correction on the page. Report errors to hello@smilecosts.com.