dentists

How Much Does a Dental Cleaning Cost in Mississippi? (2026 Price Guide)

A dental cleaning in Mississippi costs about $75 to $145 in 2026. See Jackson, Gulf Coast, and Delta prices, UMMC dental school fees, and cheap clinic options.

How Much Does a Dental Cleaning Cost in Mississippi? (2026 Price Guide)

Mississippi has the lowest cost of living in the country, and dental fees follow. A routine adult cleaning runs about $75 to $145 in 2026 at most practices, and a first visit with a comprehensive exam and X-rays typically totals $190 to $350. Madison, Ridgeland, and the DeSoto County suburbs of Memphis sit at the top of that approximate range, and the Delta and the Pine Belt towns sit at the bottom.

The state also has the fewest dentists per resident of any state and one of the highest rates of adult tooth loss, and those two facts matter more to most Mississippians than the fee schedule. A cleaning is cheap here, and finding an office that takes new patients, accepts Medicaid, or sits within 30 minutes of home is the hard part. This guide covers what cleanings cost by region, what the UMMC dental school charges, how coverage works, and where the lowest-cost care is.

Jackson, the Coast, and the Rest of the State

The Jackson metro has the widest fee spread. Practices in Madison, Ridgeland, Flowood, and northeast Jackson typically charge $110 to $145 for an adult cleaning, while offices in south and west Jackson, Pearl, Clinton, and Byram more often quote $80 to $105. Brandon and the Reservoir area fall in between.

The Gulf Coast is steadier. Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, and Bay St. Louis practices generally run $90 to $130, with Ocean Springs and Diamondhead a bit higher than Gulfport. Hattiesburg, pulled up slightly by the university and the hospital systems, lands at $90 to $125.

DeSoto County is its own market. Southaven, Olive Branch, and Hernando dentists compete with Memphis practices and often price at $105 to $140. Tupelo, Oxford, Starkville, Columbus, and Meridian generally quote $85 to $115.

The Delta and rural south Mississippi have the lowest fees and the fewest dentists. Greenville, Clarksdale, Greenwood, and McComb practices often charge $75 to $100, but many counties in the Delta and along the Alabama line have one dentist or none. Residents of Issaquena, Sharkey, or Jefferson County frequently drive an hour for a cleaning.

What the Fee Covers

The cleaning charge pays the hygienist for scaling and polishing. The dentist's exam is separate, usually $35 to $65 for a periodic exam and $60 to $115 for a comprehensive new-patient exam. Bitewing X-rays add $35 to $60, a full-mouth series or panoramic film $75 to $150, and fluoride varnish $20 to $40.

A routine six-month visit for an established patient, cleaning plus exam, typically totals $110 to $210. A new-patient visit with the comprehensive exam and full X-rays runs $190 to $350. Ask a previous dentist to send your X-rays before a first visit, since most Mississippi offices will accept films taken within the past year or two and skip that charge.

New-patient specials at $49 to $89 for a cleaning, exam, and X-rays are common in Jackson, Hattiesburg, and Gulf Coast advertising. They are a good deal for an uninsured patient with healthy gums and nearly always exclude patients who need a deep cleaning.

The UMMC School of Dentistry

The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry in Jackson is the only dental school in the state, and its public clinics are open to anyone. Dental students handle cleanings, fillings, and crowns with faculty checking each step, and the fee schedule runs roughly 40 to 60 percent under private offices. A cleaning that costs $125 in Madison might be $45 to $65 at the school.

New patients go through a screening appointment first, and treatment visits run two to three hours. UMMC also trains dental hygienists, and its hygiene clinic offers cleanings at even lower cost during the academic year. Community colleges including Pearl River, Meridian, and Northeast Mississippi run hygiene programs with student clinics that often charge under $35 for a cleaning with X-rays.

For an uninsured adult within an hour of Jackson, Meridian, Poplarville, or Booneville, a hygiene school cleaning is the cheapest supervised care available. The limits are the school calendar, since clinics do not run in summer, and the appointment length.

Medicaid, CHIP, and the Adult Coverage Gap

Mississippi Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program cover cleanings, exams, X-rays, fluoride, and sealants for children and teens at no cost. Adult dental coverage under Mississippi Medicaid is limited, and routine cleanings for adults are generally not covered outside of specific circumstances. Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid, so the share of working adults with no dental coverage at all is among the highest in the country.

Employer plans through Delta Dental, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, and national carriers cover two cleanings and exams a year at 100 percent in nearly every case, with annual maximums of $1,000 to $1,500. State employees and teachers have dental options through the state's benefits program. If your employer offers dental, the $12 to $30 monthly premium beats paying cash for two visits.

The uncovered group includes the self-employed, farm and timber workers, and employees of small businesses in retail, food service, and construction. For them, the choices are cash pay, a hygiene clinic, a community health center, or a membership plan.

Gum Disease Is the Real Cost Driver

Scaling and root planing, the treatment for gum disease, costs about $140 to $270 per quadrant in Mississippi, or $560 to $1,080 for a full mouth before insurance. It is recommended when gum pockets measure 4 millimeters or deeper with bleeding or tartar below the gumline, and most plans cover it at 50 to 80 percent.

Given the state's rates of diabetes, tobacco use, and years between dental visits, a deep cleaning recommendation on a first appointment is common and usually warranted. Ask to see the periodontal chart anyway.

If most readings are 2s and 3s with a few 4s, a regular cleaning and a three-month recheck is a fair alternative. If the chart is full of 5s and 6s, the deep cleaning is the cheaper path, since untreated gum disease ends in extractions and dentures.

After treatment, most patients move to periodontal maintenance every three to four months at about $100 to $170 per visit in Mississippi. That is more per year than two routine cleanings and far less than replacing teeth.

Where the $30 Cleanings Are

Federally qualified health centers are the main source of low-cost dental care in Mississippi. Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, Coastal Family Health Center on the Gulf Coast, Central Mississippi Health Services in Jackson, Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative in Hattiesburg, and Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services in Clarksdale all offer dental on a sliding scale. Cleanings for low-income uninsured patients typically run $25 to $65, and all accept Medicaid for children.

The Mississippi Dental Association has run Mission of Mercy events that provide free cleanings, fillings, and extractions to anyone who shows up. The Jackson Free Clinic, staffed by UMMC students, offers dental care on a limited schedule. Faith-based clinics in Tupelo, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast see uninsured patients periodically.

In-house membership plans have reached group practices in Madison, Flowood, Hattiesburg, and Southaven. For roughly $225 to $325 a year, you get two cleanings, exams, X-rays, and a discount on other work. For an uninsured adult paying $110 to $210 per visit, the plan usually pays for itself by the second appointment.

If you are still comparing options, the Mississippi dentists in our directory are organized by city, and our blog covers other local service costs for anyone managing a household budget this year.

Making the Drive Count

For a lot of Mississippians, the nearest dentist taking new patients is 45 minutes away. If that is your situation, ask the office to schedule the cleaning, exam, X-rays, and any small filling in one visit, and ask whether they can see more than one family member the same day. Most rural practices will, since they know why you are asking.

Ask for a cash discount too. Independent practices in Greenville, McComb, Columbus, and Meridian commonly give 5 to 10 percent for payment in full at the visit, and it costs nothing to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a dental cleaning in Jackson, MS?

Most Jackson-area practices charge $80 to $145 for an adult cleaning, with Madison and Ridgeland at the top and south Jackson and Clinton at the bottom. A first visit with exam and X-rays typically totals $200 to $350.

Does Mississippi Medicaid cover cleanings for adults?

Generally no. Adult coverage is limited to specific circumstances, while children on Medicaid and CHIP get full preventive coverage at no cost. Community health centers are the best option for uninsured adults.

What does a cleaning cost at the UMMC dental school?

Student cleanings at the UMMC School of Dentistry in Jackson typically run $45 to $65, and the hygiene clinic is lower. Expect a screening visit and a two-to-three-hour appointment.

Are cleanings cheaper on the Gulf Coast or in Jackson?

The Coast is slightly cheaper on average, with Gulfport and Biloxi practices at $90 to $130 compared with $110 to $145 in Madison and Ridgeland. South Jackson and the Delta are cheaper than both.

How much is a deep cleaning in Mississippi?

About $140 to $270 per quadrant, or $560 to $1,080 for a full mouth without insurance. Most dental plans pay 50 to 80 percent, and community health centers offer it on a sliding scale.