Private Dentist Fees 2026
Private dental fees can be hard to compare, because practices list them differently and the headline figure rarely tells the whole story. This guide sets out our main fees, what other practices in the city typically publish, and how to read a price list so you know what you're paying for.
How Much Does a Private Dentist Cost in Edinburgh?
At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh, a new-patient examination is £95, routine examinations after that are £70 and a 30-minute hygiene visit is £90. Treatment such as a small white filling at £170 is priced separately and confirmed in a written plan before it starts, and dental plan members save 10% on most private treatment.
How Much Does a Private Dentist Cost in Edinburgh?
For routine care, most of what you pay is for examinations and hygiene visits. At our practice in Comely Bank, a new-patient examination is £95, routine examinations after that are £70, and a 30-minute visit with our hygienist is £90. An emergency appointment is £75 for registered patients.
Treatment is priced separately, from a small white filling at £170 up to larger work such as crowns, root canal treatment or implants. Whatever you need, the fee is agreed in writing in a treatment plan before treatment starts, so nothing comes as a surprise on the day.
Our fees are guide prices. Your own plan may differ if your treatment turns out simpler or more involved than usual, and we'll explain why before anything changes.
Where Can I Get a Dental Examination in Edinburgh?
Any private practice taking new patients can see you for a dental examination. At Comely Bank Dental, a few minutes' walk from Stockbridge, adults are seen privately and there's no waiting list; the children of our dental plan members are seen under the NHS. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, with later appointments by arrangement.
Your first visit is longer than a routine check, because we're getting to know your mouth. It usually covers:
- your teeth, existing fillings and any crowns
- gum health, including measuring the gum pockets where needed
- a check of your tongue, cheeks and throat for anything unusual, including early signs of mouth cancer
- your bite and any signs of grinding
- X-rays if they're due, from £10, charged separately
- a clear explanation of anything we find, and a written plan if treatment is needed
How to book is explained on our new patients page.
Book a New-Patient Examination
Find out exactly where you stand with a full examination and a clear written plan, with every fee agreed before any treatment starts.
Our Main Fees at a Glance
These are our guide fees for the treatments people ask about most. The full list is on our fees page.
| Treatment | Guide fee |
|---|---|
| New-patient examination | £95 |
| Routine examination | £70 |
| Hygiene visit (30 minutes) | £90 |
| Emergency appointment, registered patients | £75 |
| Small white filling | £170 |
| Medium white filling | £220 |
| Large white filling | £250 |
| Crown on a back tooth | £760 |
| Root canal treatment, molar | £595 |
| Tooth extraction | £170 |
| Teeth whitening | £450 |
| Composite bonding, per tooth | £300 |
| Dental implant and crown | £2,900 |
| Invisalign | £3,000 |
Consultations for implants, composite bonding and Invisalign are free. Invisalign treatment includes refinements and Vivera retainers, and the implant fee above covers both the implant and the crown on top of it.
What Do Other Practices in the City Charge?
Among Edinburgh practices that publish their fees (October 2026), these were the starting prices. The first column shows where the middle half of practices sit, which is a fairer picture than the extremes; the second shows the full spread.
| Treatment | Middle half of practices (£) | Full spread (£) |
|---|---|---|
| New-patient examination | about 60–100 | 35–150 |
| Hygiene visit | about 65–100 | 40–165 |
| Emergency appointment | about 50–150 | 30–200 |
| Teeth whitening | about 300–410 | 150–535 |
| Composite bonding, per tooth | about 160–260 | 100–350 |
| Porcelain veneer, per tooth | about 570–760 | 370–1,200 |
| Single dental implant | about 1,450–2,800 | 1,200–4,400 |
A few things to bear in mind:
- These are the lowest prices each practice publishes, so they're starting points rather than typical bills.
- Not every practice publishes its fees, so this isn't a complete picture.
- Some implant figures are for the implant alone and some include the crown. Our £2,900 includes both; the implant on its own is £1,800.
- Whitening prices cover different systems, so check what each one includes.
How Do You Read a Dental Price List?
Two practices can quote the same treatment very differently. When you compare, check:
- "From" prices. A "from" price is the simplest version of that treatment. Ask what would make yours more.
- Per tooth, per arch or per course. Bonding and veneers are usually priced per tooth, full-arch implants per arch, and whitening or Invisalign per course of treatment.
- What's bundled in. An implant fee may or may not include the crown, the CT scan or a bone graft. Invisalign may or may not include refinements and retainers.
- What's charged separately. X-rays, scans, temporary crowns, consultations and review appointments are sometimes extra.
- Guide or fixed quote. A guide fee only becomes a firm figure once you've been examined.
The surest way to compare is a written treatment plan that lists every item. Ours always does, and nothing is added without your agreement.
Why Do Dental Fees Vary So Much?
The spread in fees isn't random. The main reasons are:
- Time. A 30-minute hygiene visit and a much shorter scale and polish are different appointments, even if they share a name.
- Materials and laboratory work. Crowns, veneers and dentures are made by dental technicians, and the laboratory, the material and the level of hand-finishing all affect the fee.
- Planning and equipment. Implants planned on a 3D CT scan and placed through a 3D-printed guide involve more planning than freehand placement. We have a CT scanner and an iTero scanner on site.
- Experience. A dentist with a long track record in a treatment may charge differently from one who does it occasionally.
- What's included. Aftercare, reviews, retainers and guarantees all cost something to provide, whether or not they're in the headline price.
- Overheads. Premises, staffing and running costs differ from one part of the city to another.
A lower fee isn't automatically better value, and a higher one isn't automatically better care. The useful question is what you get for the fee.
What Do Routine and Preventive Visits Cost Over a Year?
How often you need to come depends on your mouth. For many adults it's an examination once or twice a year and hygiene visits two to four times a year; your dentist or hygienist will suggest an interval that suits you.
Hygiene visits. A standard visit with Katie Ventisei, our dental hygienist and therapist, lasts 30 minutes and is £90. If your gums need more time, an extended visit is £135 and a deep clean is £180. Airflow polishing, which uses a fine jet of powder, air and water to lift staining, can be added for £30. See hygiene.
Gum disease treatment. Established gum disease is usually treated in stages, typically four, at £167 per stage. Our page on gum disease treatment explains what's involved.
Children. Our plan members' children are seen under the NHS, and NHS dental care for children in Scotland is free. A private child's examination is £38.
What Does a Dental Plan Include?
Many private practices offer a membership plan. Typically, a plan covers a set number of examinations and hygiene visits for a regular fee, and may add a discount on treatment or some cover for emergencies. Plans vary a lot, so read what each one includes.
Our dental plan spreads the cost of routine care, and members save 10% on most private treatment. Whether it's worthwhile depends on how often you come and how much treatment you expect to need; it tends to suit people who attend regularly for hygiene visits. We're happy to talk it through at your first appointment.
For larger treatment, fees are always agreed in writing before treatment starts, whether or not you're a plan member.
What If Something Unexpected Comes Up?
An emergency appointment is £75 for registered patients, or £99 if you're not registered with us. Any treatment needed at the same visit, such as a temporary filling, has its own fee, and we explain it before we start. See dental emergencies.
When a tooth is badly damaged, you'll usually be offered more than one option at different fees. For a back tooth, the choice might be:
- root canal treatment on a molar at £595, usually followed by a crown at £760
- removing the tooth at £170, then deciding whether to replace it, for example with an implant and crown at £2,900
The cheapest option today isn't always the cheapest over ten years, and keeping your own tooth is usually worth serious thought. We'll explain the trade-offs and let you decide.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.