Dental crown cost UK
A dental crown costs £332.10 on the NHS in England, where it falls under Band 3. Privately, most UK practices charge somewhere between £400 and £1,500 per tooth depending on the material and where the practice is. At Toothi London in Edgware a crown is from £595, and your exact figure is confirmed in writing before any treatment begins.
Fees correct as of September 2026. Set and reviewed by Dr Ali El-Kabengi (GDC 270807), principal dentist at Toothi London, 1 Handel Parade, Edgware HA8 6LD. NHS charges quoted from the published NHS band charges for England.
NHS vs private crown cost
| Route | Cost | What you get |
| NHS (England) — Band 3 | £332.10 | Covers the whole course of treatment, not just the crown. Material is chosen by clinical need, and back teeth are often metal. |
| Private, UK average | £400–£1,500 | Varies with material, laboratory and location. Central London sits at the top of that range. |
| Toothi London, Edgware | From £595 | Lab-made crown, fitting and review appointments, quoted as one written figure before you start. |
One thing worth knowing about the NHS figure: £332.10 is a band charge, not a per-item price. If you need a crown and two fillings in the same course of treatment, you pay £332.10 once, not for each item. That is genuinely good value where you can get it. The practical difficulty is availability, and the choice of material is led by clinical need rather than appearance.
For reference, the other NHS bands in England are £27.90 for Band 1 (examination, X-rays, scale and polish), £76.60 for Band 2 (fillings, extractions, root canal treatment) and £27.90 for urgent treatment.
What makes one crown cost more than another
Four things move the price, and only one of them is the practice’s postcode.
- The material. All-ceramic crowns such as E.max and zirconia cost more than metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal, because the material and the laboratory work are more demanding.
- Which tooth it is. A front tooth has to match the shade, translucency and shape of the tooth next to it. That is a harder job than a molar nobody sees, and it takes longer at the bench.
- The laboratory. Crowns are made by a dental technician, not in the surgery. Lab fees vary considerably, and a crown made in a UK lab by a technician you can phone costs more than one made offshore.
- What else the tooth needs first. A tooth that needs root canal treatment or a build-up before the crown is two pieces of treatment, not one. That is where quoted prices and final bills usually diverge, which is why it should be in writing up front.
Crown materials compared
| Material | Best suited to | Appearance |
| Metal / gold alloy | Back molars where strength matters most | Obviously metal, but extremely durable and kind to the opposing tooth |
| Porcelain fused to metal | General-purpose, back and middle teeth | Tooth-coloured, though a dark line can show at the gum over time |
| All-ceramic (E.max) | Front teeth and visible premolars | The most natural-looking option, with light passing through it like enamel |
| Zirconia | Back teeth, and patients who grind | Tooth-coloured and very strong, slightly more opaque than E.max |
What a crown costs at Toothi
A crown or bridge unit is from £595. Where a row says "from", the final figure depends on the tooth and the material, and you will have the exact number in writing before anything starts.
| Crown or bridge (per unit) | from £595 |
| Recement a crown, bridge or veneer that has come loose (excluding implant work) | £125 |
| Root canal treatment — front tooth | £450 |
| Root canal treatment — premolar | £525 |
| Root canal treatment — molar | £600 |
| General check-up (examination) | £55 |
| Porcelain veneer, per tooth — where a veneer is the better option than a crown | £895 |
Every figure on this page is published on our fees page, along with the rest of our price list. Read more about the treatment itself on our dental crowns page.
Crown, veneer or filling — which does the tooth need?
A crown covers the whole tooth and is the answer when there is not enough sound tooth left to hold a filling — typically after a large fracture, a very large old filling, or root canal treatment on a back tooth. It is a structural repair.
A veneer covers only the front surface and is a cosmetic answer for a tooth that is structurally sound but the wrong shape, shade or alignment. If a dentist offers you crowns on healthy front teeth for cosmetic reasons, ask why a veneer or bonding would not do the same job with less tooth removed. See our veneers cost guide and composite bonding cost guide.
A filling is enough when the remaining tooth is strong. A composite white filling at Toothi is from £145, so where a filling will genuinely last it is the lower-cost and more conservative answer, and we will tell you when that is the case.
Common questions
Are private crowns better than NHS crowns?
Not automatically. An NHS crown is made to a clinical standard and does the structural job. The differences are in choice and appearance: privately you can choose an all-ceramic material for a front tooth, choose the laboratory, and spend longer on shade matching. For a back molar that nobody sees, the NHS crown is often entirely sensible.
How long does a dental crown last?
Typically 10 to 15 years, and often longer. What ends a crown’s life is usually not the crown itself but decay at the margin where it meets the tooth, so daily cleaning around the edge and regular check-ups matter more than the material you chose. Grinding shortens the life of any crown, which is what a nightguard (£195) is for.
What happens if I can’t afford a crown right now?
Tell your dentist rather than postponing the appointment. A tooth that needs a crown is usually weakened, and if it fractures below the gum it can become unrestorable — at which point the choice is extraction and then a £1,995 implant or a bridge. There are usually interim options: a well-made temporary or a direct restoration can hold a tooth for a while. Treatment over £250 can also be spread over up to 10 months at 0% interest, subject to status.
Do you offer NHS crowns at Toothi?
No. Toothi is a fully private practice, so the prices on this page are directly comparable with any other private clinic. If you want NHS treatment you will need an NHS practice taking new patients.
Book an appointment · WhatsApp us for a written quote · 020 3148 2444
0% interest-free finance is available over up to 10 months, or low-interest finance over up to 60 months at 12.9% APR representative (fixed), on treatment over £250. Cherry Dental Ltd trading as Toothi is a credit broker, not a lender, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 957242). Credit is provided by Tabeo, subject to status. All fees are confirmed in a written treatment plan before any treatment begins.
