Your dentist plays a vital role in protecting your oral health, including your teeth and gums. These services are essential whether you need a dental exam or a root canal. Like most services, dental care has a cost, and these fees can change with time.
The 2023 Alberta Dental Fee Guide launched on January 1, 2023, with several changes from last year’s edition. Knowing what to expect on your bill can be helpful for your next appointment.
What Is the Alberta Dental Fee Guide?
The Alberta government reestablished the dental fee guide in 2018 to lower costs, give dentists a baseline for ideal billing, and help Albertans see what they’re paying for. This fee guide is updated yearly.
Does Everyone Follow the Alberta Dental Fee Guide?
While the Alberta Dental Fee Guide is comprehensive and helpful for dentists and patients, dentists are not required to follow it. However, many dentists follow all or some of the suggested fees. If you’re looking for a dentist, don’t be afraid to ask how closely they follow the dental fee guide.
To Understand the fees for your dental treatment follow the Government of Alberta’s tips:
- Speak to your dentist about how much their services cost.
- Request the rate for a specific procedure you need.
- Reach out to your insurance company to determine your coverage.
- Compare your dentist’s charges to the dental fee guide.
- Ask your dentist to send a pre-authorization to your insurance.
Alberta Dental Fee Guide 2023: What to Know
The Alberta Dental Fee Guide has been updated with the new year, and it’s important to know what’s changed. Not every dentist follows these recommendations exactly, but many stick close to these fees. At Otara Dental, we follow the dental fee guide for most services.
Diagnostic Services
The Alberta 2023 Dental Fee Guide describes diagnostic services as “detecting and diagnosing problems related to a patient’s head and neck.” Think of a dental exam and check-up—your dentist examines your mouth, teeth, and gums to identify potential issues.
The 2023 fee guide lists the following prices for diagnostic services:
- Primary dentition (examination of a child with only baby teeth): $81.82
- Mixed dentition (examination of a child with baby and adult teeth): $111.51
- Permanent dentition (study of a patient with only adult teeth): $116.66
- Recall oral exam (analysis of a previous adult or child): $73.85
- Specific exam (analysis of an issue in a specific area): $73.85
- Emergency examination (examination of pain or infection in a specific area): $73.85
Preventative Services
Preventative services help protect your teeth, gums, and mouth from diseases and tooth decay.
Preventative treatments can vary in price depending on the time needed to clean your teeth. The costs included in the 2023 fee guide include the following:
The 2023 Alberta Dental Fee Guide is a detailed document that covers everything your dentist can provide. The information above covers some of the more common services you experience, but not all. Don’t hesitate to ask your dentist for details on treatment costs.
Planning a Visit? Know About the National Dental Care Benefit
Dental care is essential, but it comes at a cost. Not everyone has dental coverage through insurance, or the amount isn’t enough to cover your entire family’s needs. If you’re looking for help with dental fees, learn about the Canada Dental Benefit.
The Canada Dental Benefit helps Canadians cover their family’s dental costs. Not everyone can receive this benefit, so ensure you look into your eligibility.
Contact Otara Dental to book your next appointment. We’re happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
