If you do wait until an emergency, most procedures will be more costly in terms of time, discomfort, and money. Preventative care is much more cost effective. If you go to the dentist on a regular basis, small problems can be dealt with before they become bigger, more expensive problems. These costs include malpractice insurance premiums, equipment, infection control procedures, lab fees, employee salaries, taxes, rent, utilities, filing insurance claims, phone bills, continuing education courses, licensing fees, advertising, and many other items which contribute to our overhead costs. Disposable items, which must meet strict infection control guidelines, are especially expensive.
Dental fees do vary geographically.
The fees may be correlated to the cost of living in a particular region. While I realize some dentists are more expensive than others, most of us offer competitive prices in our area. If you feel your dentist is charging unfairly high rates, you do have the right to seek another opinion. Many of these limits have not been raised or adjusted since. Therefore, some people would argue that these limits do not accurately reflect the rising cost of performing quality dentistry.