An NHS crown costs £332.10 in 2026/27. A private crown in London starts at a median £695. That figure comes from the lowest published crown price of 979 London practices. Most of those practices start between £500 and £860.
A crown is a cap that covers the whole of a damaged tooth. Dentists use one when a tooth is too broken or decayed to hold a filling, or after root canal treatment.
NHS crowns: £332.10
On the NHS, a crown is a Band 3 treatment. Band 3 costs £332.10 from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It is one charge for the whole course of treatment. It includes the check-up, X-rays and any fillings in the same course. If you need 2 crowns in one course, you still pay £332.10 once.
You can have a crown on the NHS when your dentist says you need one for the health of the tooth. You cannot have one on the NHS for appearance alone.
The dentist chooses the material based on the tooth. An NHS crown may be metal, metal with a porcelain layer, or all-ceramic. If you want a material the NHS will not provide for that tooth, the dentist may offer it privately.
NHS crowns have a 12-month guarantee. If the crown fails within 12 months, the same practice must repair or replace it for free. This does not apply if the tooth was damaged in an accident. Our NHS dental charges guide explains the bands and the guarantee.
Some people do not pay NHS charges at all. See who gets free NHS dental care.
Private crowns: a median £695 in London
The typical private crown in London starts at £695. A quarter of practices start below £500, and a quarter start above £860. These are “from” prices. The price for your tooth may be higher.
The borough makes a difference. Among boroughs where at least 5 practices publish a crown price, Tower Hamlets is the cheapest, at a median £490. The City of London is the dearest, at £900. Westminster, where 107 practices publish a crown price, has a median of £850.
Our figures: the median of each London practice’s lowest published price for a crown, read in early October 2026. Our dental crowns page shows prices by borough. It counts bridge prices as well as crowns, so its figures are a little lower.
What changes the price of a crown
The material. Practices usually charge more for all-ceramic crowns, such as zirconia or e.max, than for metal or metal-ceramic crowns. Zirconia is strong, so dentists often use it for back teeth. E.max looks more like a natural tooth, so dentists often use it for front teeth. Most practices publish only one “from” price, so ask what material that price is for.
The tooth. A molar (a large back tooth) can cost more than a front tooth.
A post and core. After root canal treatment, the dentist may need to put a post into the root to hold the crown. Some practices charge for this separately. Ask whether it is in your quote.
Same-day crowns. Some practices make the crown in the practice from a digital scan, so you need only one visit. A normal crown takes 2 visits: one to prepare the tooth and one to fit the crown. Our article on single-visit crowns explains how it works.
Questions to ask before you agree
- What material do you recommend for this tooth, and why?
- Does the price include the post and core, the temporary crown and any X-rays?
- What happens if the crown fails? Do you repair or replace it, and for how long?
- How long do you expect the crown to last?
A good practice will answer these clearly and give you a written treatment plan with the cost. If a practice will not put the price in writing, choose another practice.
Is a crown always needed?
Not always. An onlay covers only the damaged part of the tooth, so the dentist removes less of the healthy tooth. A large filling may be enough if the damage is smaller. Ask your dentist what other options there are, and what each one costs.
A dark or black tooth is a common reason for a crown. Our article on whether a dentist can fix a black tooth covers the causes and the treatments. For other treatment prices, see how much a dentist costs in London.
Finding a practice for a crown
Search our dental crowns page or find a dentist in your borough. Before you book, check that the practice is registered with the CQC (the Care Quality Commission, which registers and inspects dental practices). Many practices offer a consultation to look at the tooth and give you a written plan with costs. Ask what the consultation costs first.
Prices are practices’ published “from” prices, read in early October 2026. Your quote may be higher.