Price comparisons in four Arizona cities show resin fillings comparable to mercury fillings

Price comparisons show little difference between the cost of mercury fillings and the cost of amalgam. And, despite what the ADA is saying, for one-surface fillings, the cost of resin composite is LESS than the cost of mercury fillings in permanent teeth. This is true in the US average, and in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff.

www.bracesInfo.com has price comparisons for all kinds of dental services for 300 cities, including four in Arizona. It also has the US average. Among them are the average costs of fillings. That's at www.bracesInfo.com/cgi-bin/costs1 . These data are quite current -- as of November 15, 2002.

The chart has four kinds of fillings: amalgam (mercury) for baby teeth, amalgam for permanent teeth, composite resin for front teeth, and composite for rear teeth.

For a one-surface filling, the cost of a composite resin -- for front or rear teeth -- is LESS than the cost of an amalgam filling for permanent teeth! A composite costs more, by about 20%, for baby teeth. But that's only about $15. (Many dentists waive the difference.)

So, ranking in price from least expensive to most expensive, for one-surface fillings, it's (1) amalgam in baby teeth, (2) composite in front teeth, (3) composite in back teeth, and (4) amalgam in permanent teeth!