How to read a dental price list
53% of the 8391 prices we found on 719 London practice websites are "from" prices, the lowest the practice charges (checked October 2026). The same treatment name can also cover quite different work, so a price list is a starting point; your written treatment plan is the actual quote.
What practices must publish
The General Dental Council's Standards for the Dental Team say practices must display a simple price list in reception covering at least a consultation, a single-surface filling, an extraction, X-rays and treatment by the hygienist, and must give clear prices on their websites so patients do not have to ask. Where a cost varies, a "from" and "to" range is allowed.
Five things to check on each line
- "From" or a fixed price. A "from" price is the lowest the practice charges for that item; what you pay depends on your examination. A range gives the lowest and highest figures the practice lists.
- The unit. Per tooth, per arch, per visit or per course. A whitening course and a single implant tooth are not comparable with a per-visit fee.
- What is included. An implant may or may not include the crown; a check-up may or may not include X-rays. See what implant prices include.
- The type. Many lists price variants separately: new patient and routine check-ups, metal and porcelain crowns, front teeth and molars for root canal treatment.
- NHS or private. Many practices list NHS band charges alongside private fees. NHS charges are fixed nationally; private fees are set by each practice.
Same name, different price
Middle prices at London practices that list both types (checked October 2026):
| Treatment | Type | Middle price |
|---|---|---|
| Check-up, per visit | New patient | £79 415 practices |
| Routine | £60 409 practices | |
| Crown, per tooth | Porcelain or zirconia | £800 631 practices |
| Metal | £695 269 practices | |
| Root canal, per tooth | Front tooth | £475 330 practices |
| Molar | £700 318 practices |
Each practice's lowest price for that type. Some practices only list one type, so the counts differ.
The written treatment plan
Before treatment starts, the GDC requires your dentist to give you a written treatment plan with the cost, saying which parts are NHS and which are private, and to give you an updated plan in writing if it changes. The NHS says you should get one for any Band 2 or Band 3 course, or a mix of NHS and private treatment, and you can ask for one for Band 1. The GDC also says dentists should tell you whether treatment is guaranteed, for how long and on what terms.
How we show prices
On DentalCosts each price shows its unit, what it includes, whether it is a "from" price, where it came from and the date we checked it. Area pages show the range and the middle price, using each practice's lowest comparable price. How we collect prices explains the rules.
Sources
- General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team, principle 2, read 17 October 2026.
- NHS, Dental services available on the NHS, last reviewed 11 February 2025.
- NHS, How much NHS dental treatment costs, read 17 October 2026.
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