Dental implants in the UK or abroad

A single dental implant costs £1,206 to £5,300 per tooth at 353 London practices that publish prices; the middle price is £2,700 (checked October 2026). Implants are rarely available on the NHS. NHS Band 3, which covers dentures and bridges, costs £332.10.

UK implant, middle price£2,700353 London practices, October 2026
NHS Band 3£332.10nhs.uk, checked 17 October 2026
Dentists who saw problems86%of those who had seen patients treated abroad (BDA, July 2022)

Many people look abroad because UK prices are high. This guide sets out what implants cost in the UK, what UK dentists and regulators say about treatment abroad, and what the NHS offers. It does not recommend any clinic, in the UK or abroad, and it is not clinical advice: only a dentist who has examined you can say what treatment suits you.

What implants cost in the UK

At the 353 London practices whose published price includes the crown as well as the implant, prices run from £1,206 to £5,300 per tooth, and half charge £2,700 or less. 254 of these 353 prices are "from" prices, so your quote may be higher. Our guide to what implant prices include explains what to check.

Crowns, which are often part of treatment sold abroad, cost £285 to £2,500 per tooth at 631 London practices (porcelain or zirconia, checked October 2026).

We do not publish prices for clinics abroad, and we do not link to them or take referral fees from them.

What UK dentists report after treatment abroad

In a survey of 1,000 UK dentists published by the British Dental Association in July 2022:

  • 94% had examined patients who had been abroad for dental treatment.
  • Of those, 86% had treated problems that developed afterwards. The most common were failing or failed treatment (86%), pain (76%) and poorly carried out treatment (72%).
  • Crowns (87%) and implants (85%) were the treatments most likely to need follow-up work.
  • 65% said putting things right cost patients at least £500, 51% said more than £1,000, and one in five said more than £5,000.
  • Over 40% (346 dentists) said the follow-up treatment was provided on the NHS.
  • 98% of all respondents said lower cost was the main reason patients went abroad.

This is a survey of dentists' experience, not a measure of how often treatment abroad goes wrong.

What the regulators and the NHS say

  • Different rules abroad. The General Dental Council (GDC) says it cannot guarantee that another country has an equivalent regulator or the same standards as the UK, and suggests checking the local regulator, how complaints work, and whether the dentist must be registered.
  • Events in the UK. Only people registered with the GDC can practise dentistry in the UK. The GDC warns that assessments or advice given at UK promotional events by overseas providers may count as practising dentistry, and that you are not protected if the person is not registered.
  • An examination first. The GDC says a qualified dentist should assess you, including your medical history, before you get a treatment plan and a cost estimate.
  • No NHS refund. The NHS treatment abroad checklist says you cannot get reimbursement for dental treatment abroad, and the NHS is not liable if treatment abroad fails.
  • Insurance. The NHS says the GHIC and EHIC do not cover planned treatment, and most travel insurance does not either.
  • Warning signs. The NHS lists a hard sell, pressure to decide quickly, and no mention of complications or aftercare.

Questions to ask about any quote

Drawn from the GDC's list for patients, these apply to a UK practice as much as one abroad:

  • Who will do the treatment, and what are their qualifications and registration?
  • Is the work guaranteed, for how long, and on what terms?
  • What aftercare is included, and who do I contact once I am home?
  • If something goes wrong, who pays for further treatment, and for any return flights and hotels?
  • Is there a complaints process I can see?

Count every cost: return trips, longer stays and follow-up visits, which the NHS checklist also flags.

What the NHS offers

The NHS says implants are usually only available privately. In rare cases they are offered on the NHS to people who cannot wear dentures, for example after mouth cancer or an accident; this is decided by hospital services, usually after a referral from a dentist. NHS treatment for missing teeth, such as dentures and bridges, is in Band 3 at £332.10 in England, and some people pay nothing. See NHS dental charges and paying for dental treatment.

Your own dentist can talk you through the options for you, including NHS ones, and the GDC suggests telling them if you plan treatment abroad.

Sources

  1. British Dental Association, UK dentists picking up the pieces from dental tourism boom, published 14 July 2022.
  2. General Dental Council, Going abroad for dental treatment, read 17 October 2026.
  3. NHS, Treatment abroad checklist, last reviewed 19 November 2023.
  4. NHS, Going abroad for medical treatment, last reviewed 13 October 2023.
  5. NHS, Dental treatments, read 17 October 2026.
  6. NHS, How much NHS dental treatment costs, read 17 October 2026.

UK prices from each practice's own website, checked October 2026; NHS charges from nhs.uk, checked 17 October 2026, for England. How we collect prices