How much does dental treatment cost?

Prices tend to vary between dentists and clinics: the reasons for this include the type of treatment undertaken, the duration, materials used and laboratory work.

If you are lucky enough to have an NHS dentist then you will find that there are three ‘pricing bands’ which are dependent upon the amount of treatment you have.

These bands are:

  • Band 1
  • Band 2
  • Band 3

For example, if you need a filling then this will fall into ‘Band 2’. This band includes the standard examination plus treatments such as root canal surgery, tooth extractions and fillings. The cost of treatment in this band is £45.60.

Band 1 is the cheapest band at £16.50. This includes the initial examination, preventative advice and any diagnostic tests such as x-rays etc.

Band 3 includes more complex procedures such as crowns, bridges and dentures. As you can imagine this is reflected in the price and for this band, it stands at £198.

The NHS choices site (www.nhs.uk) contains more information on NHS prices and dental treatment.

If you have to go privately then you will find that every clinic will have its own pricing scheme and will ask for payment as soon as treatment is carried out. Many clinics have their own finance scheme and or dental plan which can help to spread the cost of treatment via affordable repayments. Ask your dentist about this.

If you are going private then the following are meant to give you a rough idea of treatment costs:

Examination (for new patients) = £25 upwards

Emergency consultation (depends on whether you are an NHS or a private patient) = £50.00

Tooth extraction = from £70.00 (depends on the number of teeth)

Fillings = from £40.00 upwards (depends on the material used)

Root canal treatment = estimate will be provided

Crown (porcelain) = from £400

Crown (ceramic) = from £500

Bridge = estimate will be provided

Dentures (full set) = from £700

Dental plans are becoming an increasingly popular way of paying for dental treatment. As many of us require maintenance treatment in the form of dental cleanings or fillings then these plans can be a good way of spreading the costs. They are administered by your dentist and are a form of ‘prepaid’ dentistry in that you pay a set amount each month before any treatment.

These differ from dental insurance which is there to cover the cost of unexpected dental treatment or emergencies. In these cases you make a claim when a dental emergency arises.

General Dentistry Guide Index:



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