Pittsburgh Dentistry Quote Form
The Pittsburgh Dentist Who Used to Teach Pittsburgh's Future Dentists
You already know the feeling some dental visits leave behind. The appointment gets rushed. A treatment plan gets handed over with numbers that seem to appear from nowhere. "We'll see what insurance covers" gets said… and then the waiting starts. It's the kind of experience that gets a filling postponed for a year.
So it makes sense that you'd want something different — a dentist who slows down, explains what's really happening in your mouth in words that actually land, and tells you the number up front.
That's what Dr. Frederick D. Sams has built in Shadyside. He earned his DMD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, then spent 11 years there as an Associate Clinical Professor — the person teaching new dentists how to explain things clearly and treat gently. Today he brings that same patience to every chair at Pittsburgh Dentistry.
He's especially passionate about how your mouth connects to the rest of you — how calming gum inflammation can ripple outward into your whole well-being. His principle is simple: do no harm, and treat the whole person, not just the tooth.
And as you picture your own visit here, you can start to feel what an unhurried visit is like: clear, calm, and a little lighter walking out than walking in.
"Do no harm — and treat the whole person, not just the tooth in front of you. Everything else we do here grows from that." — Dr. Frederick D. Sams, DMD
Where Are You Right Now? Tap the One That Sounds Like You.
Every path leads to the same place — a clear plan, a real number, and a dentist who takes his time.
"Something hurts right now."
Toothache, swelling, a broken tooth, a crown that popped off. Same-day visits, weekends too — and a posted price for the visit.
Emergency dental care → 🪥"I'm due — maybe overdue — for a check-up."
Exam + X-rays for $136. Cleanings that feel thorough, never rushed. The easiest yes you'll say all week.
Check-ups & cleanings → 🛠️"I've been putting off a bigger fix."
Root canals, extractions, crowns, dentures, gum treatment — most done right here, chairside, without bouncing you between offices.
General & restorative care → ✨"I want to love my smile in photos."
Zoom! whitening, veneers, bonding and smile makeovers — the kind of change you notice every time you catch your reflection.
Cosmetic dentistry →What Dental Care Really Costs in Pittsburgh — and Exactly Where Your Number Lands
Here's something worth sitting with for a second: dentistry, everywhere in the country, runs higher than most people expect until the day they need it. A crown pushing past $1,300. An implant north of $4,500. That's not our number — that's the published Pennsylvania and national average.
So the useful question becomes, compared to that reality, where does Pittsburgh Dentistry sit? We'll show you honestly — ten procedures, side by side with Pennsylvania and national averages, the moment you request your quote below.
| Service | Pittsburgh Dentistry | Pennsylvania avg. cost | National avg. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam + X-ray | $136 | $210 | $203 |
| Filling (1–3 surface) | 🔒 below avg | ~$235 | ~$226 |
| Simple extraction | 🔒 below avg | $310 | $300 |
| Wisdom tooth extraction† | 🔒 shown on purpose | $224–$469 | $300–$400 |
| Root canal (molar, 3 canals) | 🔒 below avg | $1,135–$1,500+ | $1,100–$1,500+ |
| Dental crown | 🔒 below avg | $1,340 | $1,369 |
| Zoom! professional whitening | 🔒 below avg | — | $650 |
| Full denture (per arch) | 🔒 below avg | ~$1,917 (both) | ~$1,953 (both) |
| Dental implant + crown | 🔒 below avg | $4,620 (implant alone) | $4,507 (implant alone) |
| Deep cleaning, per quadrant | 🔒 shown on purpose | $250 | $242 |
That first row is our real, live number — proof this isn't a bait figure. The other nine, filled into that locked column with these same Pennsylvania and national comparisons, are inside your free Real Value & Insurance Guide.
The root canal number almost nobody notices
Most offices charge a lot more for a three-canal molar than a one-canal front tooth. Ours barely moves — you'll see the exact flat curve, canal by canal, in your guide below.
No insurance? This list is already your number.
Roughly 1 in 4 adults has no dental coverage at all. Every number in your guide is our real self-pay investment — nothing to decode, no network math, and it works exactly the same whether an insurance company is involved or not.
Ready to see all ten, in black and white?
Unlock My Complete Real Value →Rather just ask? Call 412-912-4182 — we'll walk through every number with you live.
In-Network, Out-of-Network, or No Insurance at All — Here's How It Actually Works
"In-network" is a pricing contract with an insurance company — not a grade on skill, gentleness, or 30 years of judgment. Once you see that, the whole decision gets simpler.
One thing to know up front, insurance or not: as an out-of-network practice, every patient pays Pittsburgh Dentistry directly, in full, at the time of service — the same posted price for everyone. That never changes. What can change is what your insurer sends back to you afterward.
If you carry a PPO
Most people do — and PPO plans almost always reimburse a portion of out-of-network care directly to you, once we've submitted your paid receipt. Delta Dental PPO, Highmark, UPMC Dental Advantage, Cigna PPO, Aetna PPO, MetLife PPO and more typically do.
If you carry an HMO / DHMO
These closed-network plans generally reimburse $0 out-of-network except true emergencies. We'll tell you that straight — and many patients still choose us, because our posted numbers and payment plans make the math work either way.
If you're paying your own way
You walk in with more clarity than most insured patients ever get — the exact same posted price, no reimbursement paperwork to think about at all.
The part where we do the work for you
You pay us directly, in full, at your visit
Card, cash, or a Cherry monthly plan — the posted price above, every time. This step never depends on insurance.
As a courtesy, we submit your paid receipt
Your itemized "superbill" goes straight to your insurer after your visit — no CDT-code homework at your kitchen table.
Your insurer reimburses you directly
The check comes to you, not us — with an estimate we can walk through beforehand if you'd like to know roughly what to expect.
Rather spread it out than pay it all today?
Flexible monthly plans through Cherry turn one big number into an easy, predictable one. Most patients are approved in minutes, right from their phone, with no impact to explore. Available to every patient, insured or not.
One thing to know up front: a 9.9% convenience amount is built into your plan total before you ever sign — never sprung on you later. It's Cherry's charge for offering the plan, not a Pittsburgh Dentistry markup.
Request Your Personal Dental Care Quote
Tell us what's going on. We'll come back with a clear plan and your real number — the posted price you'll pay us directly, plus, if you carry insurance, what you can expect back afterward.
📘 Unlocks instantly: The Pittsburgh Patient's Real Value & Insurance Guide + the one-page Quick Value GuideRather talk it through? Call 412-912-4182 .
5732 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 · Shadyside, near Walnut Street & East Liberty
The Kind of Proof You Can Check for Yourself
Trusted to teach
For 11 years, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine trusted Dr. Sams to train its dental students. That's a decade spent teaching future dentists how to diagnose carefully and explain clearly.
Trusted by the community
Since 1990, he's served as President of the Board of Directors for the Sickle Cell Society — the same patient-first, do-no-harm care, extended far past the operatory.
Trusted with the numbers
Very few dental offices publish their full numbers — including the two services that run above average. We do, because informed patients make confident decisions.
Most people who read this far have already noticed that calm, informed feeling settling in. Six months from now, you might be the one telling a coworker, "Just call Dr. Sams — they'll tell you the number up front."
General, Emergency, Cosmetic & Preventive Dentistry in Pittsburgh
Almost everything your smile needs, under one roof in Shadyside — so you're not bouncing between offices, second visits, and second bills.
Emergency Dentistry
Toothaches, swelling, cracked or knocked-out teeth, lost crowns. Same-day visits on weekdays and weekends, with the visit price posted before you arrive.
Check-ups & Cleanings
Below-average numbers on exams, X-rays and cleanings, and the kind of thorough, unhurried visit that catches small things while they're still small.
Root Canals
Flat-priced no matter the canal count, performed chairside by Dr. Sams. Save the tooth and keep your day.
Extractions & Wisdom Teeth
Simple extractions and wisdom tooth removal — including many impacted teeth — done right here, without an outside referral.
Gum Disease & Periodontal Care
Deep cleanings, periodontal maintenance and soft-tissue management that calm inflammation — for your mouth and the rest of you.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Zoom! whitening, porcelain veneers, bonding and smile makeovers, planned around the smile you picture when you close your eyes.
Fillings & Crowns
Tooth-colored fillings and crowns, below the Pennsylvania average and built to last for years of normal Pittsburgh life.
Dentures & Partials
Full and partial dentures — comfortable fits that give you back the foods and photos you've missed.
Dental Implants
A complete implant and crown, priced below the national average for the implant alone — with Cherry plans to make it a monthly number.
General, Emergency, Cosmetic & Preventive Dentistry in Pittsburgh
DENTIST IN PITTSBURGH & SHADYSIDE
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DENTAL CARE PITTSBURGH PATIENTS SEARCH FOR
- Root Canal Pittsburgh
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DENTIST NEAR YOUR PITTSBURGH SUBURB
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- Emergency Dentist Near Me Pittsburgh Suburbs
- Dentist That Takes New Patients Near Me
- Out-of-Network Dentist Worth the Drive
Questions Pittsburgh Patients Ask Us Every Week
Is Pittsburgh Dentistry taking new patients?
Do you take my dental insurance?
What if I don't have dental insurance?
How much is a dental check-up in Pittsburgh?
Do you see dental emergencies the same day, including weekends?
Is Dr. Sams an endodontist, oral surgeon, or periodontist?
Do you offer payment plans?
Is Pittsburgh Dentistry the same as Dental Medicine Institute?
Who's the best dentist in Pittsburgh?
Dental Care Across Shadyside, Pittsburgh & All of Allegheny County
One Shadyside office on Ellsworth Avenue — and patients make the drive from every direction, especially when something hurts and no one closer to home has an opening.
THE EAST END & NEAR SHADYSIDE
- Shadyside
- East Liberty
- Squirrel Hill
- Oakland & North Oakland
- Bloomfield
- Friendship
- Point Breeze
- Highland Park
- Lawrenceville
- Garfield
- Morningside
- Stanton Heights
- Polish Hill
- Strip District
- Downtown Pittsburgh
- Greenfield
- Regent Square
- Wilkinsburg
THE WIDER PITTSBURGH REGION
- Monroeville
- Penn Hills
- Churchill
- Forest Hills
- Edgewood
- Swissvale
- Mt. Lebanon
- Dormont
- Greentree
- Carnegie
- Bethel Park
- Upper St. Clair
- Ross Township
- McCandless
- Shaler
- Fox Chapel
- Whitehall
- Baldwin
Not seeing your neighborhood?
If you're anywhere in the greater Pittsburgh area, call 412-912-4182 and we'll tell you straight how quickly we can see you. And if it's an emergency — patients have made the drive from as far as WVU and Morgantown when no one closer had room. Toothaches don't check the map before they show up, and neither do we.
P.S. If you scrolled straight to the bottom — hello, fellow skimmer 👋 — here's the whole page in one breath: a Pitt-trained dentist with 30+ years in Shadyside, real posted numbers you pay us directly, same-day emergency care on weekends too, and a front desk that files your reimbursement paperwork for you afterward, as a courtesy.
When you call 412-912-4182 today, you'll walk into your first visit already knowing your real number — the same posted price you'll pay us directly — and, if you carry insurance, roughly what to expect back afterward. Plus you'll get the Real Value & Insurance Guide to keep, share with your family, and come back to anytime.
Call 412-912-4182 — or fill out the form below.