How Much Does a Dental Check-Up Cost in the UK?

If you have been out of the dental system for a while, the first question is usually the simplest one: what will it cost me just to get looked at? Here is the honest answer, without the hedging.

The short answer

A private dental check-up in the UK typically costs £30 to £120, with most practices somewhere between £45 and £90. At Bollington Dental Practice a new patient examination is £89 including X-rays, and a routine examination after that is £60. On the NHS a check-up sits in Band 1, currently £27.90 in England.

Why prices vary so much

• New patient or returning. A first appointment takes longer. We go through your medical history, examine your teeth, gums and bite, check the soft tissues, and take X-rays to see what is happening between and beneath the teeth. A routine check-up six months later is a shorter visit and costs less.
• Whether X-rays are included. This is the most common reason two quotes differ. Ours are included in the £89. Elsewhere they are often added afterwards, at anywhere from £15 to £30 each, so a headline price of £45 can quietly become £90.
• Whether a hygiene visit is bundled in. Some practices quote an examination and a clean together. A hygiene appointment with us is priced separately, from £60, so you only pay for what you need.
• Whether you are on a plan. Our dental plan from £15.95 a month includes your examinations, routine X-rays and hygiene visits, plus 15% off most treatment. For anyone attending twice a year it usually works out cheaper than paying as you go.

What about the NHS?

An NHS check-up is Band 1, currently £27.90 in England, which also covers X-rays, advice and a scale and polish if it is clinically needed. It is genuinely good value, and if you are exempt from charges it is free.

The difficulty is finding a practice with room. Like most in this area we are not able to accept new NHS patients and we do not keep a waiting list, because we would rather tell you straight than leave you hoping. The NHS find a dentist tool shows which practices are reporting availability.

Comparing costs? See every price we publish side by side in our interactive cost checker, including what the dental plan saves on each treatment.

Frequently asked questions

How often do I actually need a check-up?

Somewhere between every six months and every two years, depending on your risk. Someone with healthy gums, no fillings and a low sugar diet genuinely can be seen less often. If you smoke, grind your teeth or have a history of gum disease, six months matters. Your dentist should tell you which camp you are in and why.

Is it worth going if nothing hurts?

That is rather the point. Decay and gum disease are painless until they are not, and the stage where they become uncomfortable is usually the stage where treatment stops being a filling and starts being a root canal or an extraction. A check-up is the cheapest appointment in dentistry and it exists to stop you needing the expensive ones.

What happens at a new patient examination?

We take a full medical history, examine your teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues, take X-rays, and then talk you through what we found. If you need treatment you get a written plan with the cost of each item before you decide anything. Nobody starts work on the day without you agreeing to it first.

I have not been to a dentist in years. Will I get a lecture?

No. We see people in this position every week and it is far more common than you would think. You will get an honest picture of where things stand and a plan for sorting it, in a sensible order, at a pace you are comfortable with.

You can also see options and request a time on our appointments page.

If you would like to get booked in, call us on 01625 574609. We are an independent, family-run practice ten minutes from Macclesfield with free parking outside, and all our prices are published openly on our fees page.

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