NHS treatment costs much less than private treatment, especially for bigger work. An NHS crown costs £332.10. A private crown in London usually starts at about £695. The problem is getting an NHS place. In October 2026, about 4 in 10 NHS practices in London said they were taking new adult patients. Private practices can usually see you within days.
So for many people in London, the real question is not “which is better?” It is “can I get an NHS place, and if not, what is worth paying for privately?”
Cost: NHS and private prices compared
| Treatment | NHS charge | Private London price (typical starting price) |
|---|---|---|
| Check-up | £27.90 (Band 1) | £55 |
| White filling | £76.60 (Band 2) | £150 |
| Root canal treatment | £76.60 (Band 2) | £450 |
| Simple extraction | £76.60 (Band 2) | £180 |
| Crown | £332.10 (Band 3) | £695 |
| Dentures | £332.10 (Band 3) | £600 |
| Teeth whitening | Not available | £375 |
| Dental implant (one tooth) | Not available, except in rare cases | £2,100 |
| Invisalign (clear aligners) | Not available for adults, except in rare cases | £2,500 |
NHS charges are for England from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Private prices are the median (middle) of the lowest price each London practice publishes for that treatment. Many patients pay more than the starting price. See our dental price list for the full table.
The NHS charge is per course of treatment, not per item. A course of treatment is everything the dentist does to fix the problems found at one examination. Say you need a check-up, 2 fillings and a root canal. On the NHS you pay £76.60 in total. Privately, each item has its own price, so the same work could cost £750 or more.
The difference is biggest for Band 3 work. Band 3 covers crowns, bridges and dentures, all for one charge of £332.10. Privately, a crown alone usually starts at about £695, and a bridge or full dentures can cost much more.
NHS work also comes with two protections:
- The 2-month rule. If you need more treatment within 2 months, in the same band or a lower one, you pay nothing extra.
- The 12-month guarantee. If an NHS filling, root filling, inlay, porcelain veneer or crown fails within 12 months, the same practice must repair or replace it free. This does not cover temporary work or damage from an accident.
Our NHS dental charges guide explains the bands in full, including who pays nothing.
Access: the main problem with the NHS
On 5 October 2026, 342 of the 779 NHS practices we list in London said on nhs.uk that they were taking new adult patients. That is about 4 in 10. It varies a lot by borough. In Lewisham it was 20 of 27 practices, and in Sutton only 1 of 16.
A “yes” on nhs.uk does not always mean an appointment soon. In autumn 2024, an Office for National Statistics survey found that 96.9% of adults in England who had no dentist and tried to get NHS dental care did not get it. That figure is for England, and it is 2 years old, but it shows how hard it has been.
Our guide to finding an NHS dentist in London explains how to look, and our NHS dentists in London page shows which practices say they have space.
What you get when you pay privately
Private care costs more, but you get more choice:
- Faster appointments. Most private practices can see a new patient within days or weeks.
- More time. Private practices set their own appointment length, and check-ups are often longer than on the NHS. Ask the practice how long the appointment is.
- Times that suit you. Many London private practices open early, late or at weekends.
- Treatments the NHS does not offer. This includes whitening, implants, clear aligners for adults, and veneers or bonding for appearance.
- More choice of materials. For example, you can choose a tooth-coloured crown on a back tooth, where the NHS might offer a metal one.
Is NHS treatment lower quality than private?
No. The same dentists often do both NHS and private work, and their skills do not change. The NHS pays for treatment you need to keep your mouth healthy. It does not pay for treatment that is only for appearance.
The real differences are time, choice of materials and the range of treatments. Paying privately can make sense when you want a more natural-looking material, or a specialist for complex work, such as a difficult root canal.
Can you mix NHS and private treatment?
Yes. Many practices offer both. You can have NHS treatment for what you need and pay privately for something extra, such as whitening or a white filling on a back tooth.
Before NHS treatment in Band 2 or Band 3, the practice should give you a written treatment plan. It should show which items are NHS and which are private, and what each costs. If you are not sure what you are paying for, ask before treatment starts.
There is no NHS registration with a dentist. If a practice sees you on the NHS, it does not have to keep a place for you if you stop going. So if you have an NHS dentist, keep going for regular check-ups.
Dental plans and insurance
A dental plan is a monthly payment to one private practice. It usually covers check-ups and hygienist visits, with a discount on other treatment. Plans in London usually cost about £15 to £50 a month. Our Denplan vs pay as you go guide shows when a plan saves money.
Dental insurance is different. You pay a monthly amount to an insurer and claim money back after treatment. Most policies make you wait before you can claim and do not cover problems you already have. Read the terms before you buy. We look at this in is dental insurance worth it?
Which should you choose?
If you can get an NHS place, take it. For anything more than a check-up, it saves a lot of money.
If you cannot get an NHS place, a private check-up is better than none. A check-up every year or two finds problems while they are small and cheaper to fix. Use our London directory to find practices near you by borough or treatment, and our London dental costs guide to compare prices.
NHS charges are valid from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Private prices are what practices publish and can change.