See your price in 60 seconds
A private dental check-up typically costs £40–£90, a hygienist visit £55–£95, a white filling £100–£250 and a crown £500–£900. Prices vary widely by practice and region, with London at the top of every range. A health cash plan from around £10–£15 a month can refund a meaningful slice of routine costs.
- ✓Routine private dental care — two check-ups and two hygiene visits — typically costs £200–£350 a year.
- ✓A private crown runs £500–£900 and a molar root canal can reach £700 or more.
- ✓Health cash plans from ~£10–£15 a month refund set amounts towards dental bills.
Private dentist prices at a glance
Private dentistry has no national price list — every practice sets its own fees, and the same filling can cost half as much ten miles away. The ranges below reflect what most UK practices charged in mid-2026; central London and premium clinics sit above the top of each band, while practices in smaller towns often sit below the bottom.
| Treatment | Typical private price |
|---|---|
| New patient exam (often with X-rays) | £60–£120 |
| Routine check-up | £40–£90 |
| Hygienist appointment (30 mins) | £55–£95 |
| Small X-ray | £5–£15 each |
| White (composite) filling | £100–£250 |
| Root canal treatment | £300–£700+ (molars at the top) |
| Crown (porcelain or ceramic) | £500–£900 |
| Tooth extraction (routine) | £120–£300 |
| Teeth whitening (professional) | £300–£700 |
How private prices compare with NHS charges
NHS dentistry in England charges in three fixed bands: around £27 for an examination (Band 1), around £76 for fillings, extractions and root canals (Band 2), and around £327 for crowns, dentures and bridges (Band 3) — one charge covers all the treatment in that band. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different systems with generally lower charges. On paper the NHS is far cheaper for major work; the catch is finding a practice that will take you on, which is now genuinely difficult in much of the country.
Private prices buy shorter waits for appointments, longer appointment times, and materials and lab work the NHS doesn't fund — white fillings on back teeth being the classic example. For a simple check-up the private premium is modest; for a crown or root canal it can be several hundred pounds. If you can't get NHS access at all, our guide to options when you can't find an NHS dentist covers the full picture.
The bigger bills: fillings, root canals and crowns
Routine care is predictable; restorative work is where private dentistry gets expensive. A few things drive the quote you're given:
- Which tooth. Molars have more roots and are harder to reach, so a molar root canal typically costs £150–£300 more than a front tooth, and is sometimes referred to a specialist endodontist at £800–£1,200.
- Materials and lab fees. A crown's price is largely the laboratory work — all-ceramic and gold crowns cost more than porcelain-bonded ones.
- Who does the work. Specialist referrals (endodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons) generally cost 50–100% more than the same treatment with a general dentist.
- Sedation. IV sedation for nervous patients typically adds £200–£400 to any procedure.
- Location. The same crown can be £550 in the north of England and £900+ in central London.
For anything over a few hundred pounds it's reasonable to ask for an itemised plan and, for big jobs, a second opinion — prices genuinely differ enough between practices to justify the extra appointment fee.
Cover the everyday costs too
How cash plans and dental cover claw the money back
Private health insurance mostly doesn't touch routine dentistry — but two products do. The first is a health cash plan: for roughly £10–£25 a month you claim back set amounts each year towards dental check-ups, hygienist visits and treatment, alongside optical, physio and other everyday costs. Typical entry-level plans refund £70–£150 a year for dental, with higher tiers paying more. For someone paying private prices for routine care, a cash plan often returns most of its premium in dental and optical claims alone — see our comparison of the best health cash plans.
The second is a dental add-on to a private medical insurance policy, or a standalone dental plan. These typically refund a percentage of routine costs (often 100% up to a cap) and a share of restorative work, with annual limits and waiting periods before you can claim. Our guide to dental cover on health insurance explains how the add-ons work and where the limits bite.
Keeping private dental bills down
- Don't skip the hygienist. £55–£95 twice a year is the cheapest dentistry you'll ever buy — most expensive treatment starts as untreated gum disease or decay.
- Compare practice membership plans. Many private practices offer their own monthly plans (commonly £15–£30) covering check-ups and hygiene with discounts on treatment — worth it if you'd attend anyway.
- Ask about payment options for big work. Most practices offer staged payments or 0% finance on treatment over a few hundred pounds.
- Check what a cash plan would have refunded. If you're paying privately long-term, price up a cash plan before your next course of treatment — waiting periods mean it pays to join before you need it.
- Keep an eye on NHS availability. Practices do reopen NHS lists; being registered privately doesn't stop you moving if a space appears.
Frequently asked questions
Why do private dentist prices vary so much between practices?
Because there's no national private fee scale — each practice prices its own chair time, materials, lab fees and premises costs. Location is the biggest factor, with London typically 30–50% above the national range, followed by the dentist's experience and the laboratory used for crowns and bridges. Always ask for a written treatment plan with costs before agreeing to work.
How much does a private hygienist appointment cost?
Typically £55–£95 for a standard 30-minute scale and polish, with longer or specialist periodontal appointments costing more. Some practices offer direct access, meaning you can book the hygienist without seeing the dentist first. Cash plans usually class hygienist fees as dental costs, so they're claimable within your annual limit.
How much is a white filling at a private dentist?
Typically £100–£250 depending on the size of the filling and which tooth it's on — large multi-surface fillings on back teeth sit at the top of the range. This is one of the most common reasons people pay privately, because the NHS generally only funds white fillings on visible front teeth.
How much does a private root canal cost in the UK?
Typically £300–£700 with a general dentist, with molars at the top of the range because they have more canals. Complex cases referred to a specialist endodontist commonly cost £800–£1,200. You'll usually also need a crown afterwards at £500–£900, so budget for the combined figure, not the root canal alone.
How much does a private dental crown cost?
Typically £500–£900 depending on the material — porcelain-bonded crowns sit at the lower end, all-ceramic and gold at the upper end, and premium London practices can charge £1,000+. The NHS equivalent is a Band 3 charge of around £327 in England, but with more limited material choices and, in many areas, a long wait for access.
How much does it cost to have a tooth taken out privately?
A routine private extraction typically costs £120–£300. Surgical extractions — broken-down teeth, difficult roots or impacted teeth — cost more, commonly £250–£500, and may be referred to an oral surgeon. Sedation, if you want it, typically adds £200–£400.
Is a new patient exam more expensive than a routine check-up?
Usually, yes. A new patient examination typically costs £60–£120 against £40–£90 for a routine check-up, because it's longer and generally includes X-rays, a full charting of your mouth and a gum health assessment. Some practices run new-patient offers that bundle the exam, X-rays and a hygiene visit at a reduced price.
Will a health cash plan cover the cost of private check-ups and hygiene visits?
It will refund a set amount towards them — typically £70–£150 a year on entry-level plans and more on higher tiers — rather than covering unlimited costs. For two check-ups and two hygiene visits a year, that often recovers half or more of your routine spend. Watch the waiting period: most plans make you wait a few months before the first dental claim.
Is a monthly dental payment plan cheaper than paying a private dentist per visit?
It depends on how much dentistry you use. Practice membership plans (commonly £15–£30 a month) usually cover check-ups and hygiene visits plus a discount on treatment — good value if you attend regularly, poor value if you'd only have one check-up a year. Compare the plan's annual cost against your actual last-two-years spend before signing up.
Are private dentist prices displayed anywhere before I book?
They should be. Practices are expected to make a price list available — many publish one on their website, and you can ask reception for indicative prices for a check-up, hygiene visit and common treatments before registering. For actual treatment, your dentist should give you a written plan with itemised costs before any work starts.