A new study has suggested that the average cost of dental fees has increased by 40 per cent in the last three years.
According to reports, the average cost of a routine visit now sits at approximately £52 – comparable with the £37 average recorded in 2013.
The same study, carried out by price comparison website Whatclinic, revealed a dramatic variation in the prices private dental practices across the UK were charging their patients.
According to research, patients attending private practices in some regions were found to be paying out more than five times more than others for common procedures such as root canal work or teeth whitening.
One practice in Cobham, Surrey, was found to be charging £550 for teeth whitening, comparable with a fee of just £75 charged in another practice in Rotherham.
Another in Reading was charging patients £850 per tooth for veneers, despite the fact that the same service was offered at a South West London practice for just £126 per tooth.
Regionally, Birmingham was found to offer the cheapest average dental fees (at just £31 for a routine check-up).
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, urged patients to “shop around”.
He said: “There is a lot of variation – but to an extent you get what you pay for. The dentist is basically selling you his time and hopefully, if you go for the Rolls-Royce end of the market you’ll get a better service”.
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