The £27.90 Dental Check-Up That Can Cost Nearly £100

A dental check-up costs £27.90 on the NHS or around £55 privately.

At least, that is what the price list says.

The real cost begins when you leave home.

There may be fuel, public transport and parking to pay for. You may need to rearrange childcare, leave work early or use part of your annual leave. Then there is the time spent travelling, waiting and getting back again.

A 15-minute examination can consume two or three hours of your day.

For someone whose time is worth £15 an hour, losing three working hours adds £45. Add £10 for travel and parking and the real cost of a £27.90 NHS appointment becomes £82.90.

The same calculation turns an average £55 private check-up into £110.

Even when your salary is not reduced, the time has still been taken from your working day, family or other responsibilities.

The NHS Band 1 charge in England is currently £27.90. The Competition and Markets Authority reported that the average private routine check-up for an existing patient had risen to £55 by 2024, while an initial private consultation averaged £80.

Does everyone need a check-up every six months?

Regular dental care is important—but regular does not automatically mean every six months.

NICE guidance says the interval between oral health reviews should reflect the individual patient’s needs and risk of dental disease. For adults, the recommended interval can range from three months to as long as 24 months.

Someone with active decay, gum disease, ongoing treatment or other risk factors may need to be seen frequently. Someone whose dental health is stable may be advised to wait considerably longer.

That is very different from automatically booking another appointment simply because six months have passed.

What about dental X-rays?

Some people are understandably cautious about repeated X-rays because they involve ionising radiation.

Dental X-rays should not be feared when they are clinically necessary. The radiation dose is extremely low and the associated risk is considered minimal. They can reveal decay, bone loss and other problems that cannot always be identified from photographs or a visual examination.

However, every medical exposure must be clinically justified, and NHS guidance states that X-rays are included in Band 1 treatment when clinically needed—not automatically at every routine visit.

The sensible argument is not “avoid X-rays.” It is: use them when the expected clinical benefit justifies them.

Screen First—from wherever you are

DentalSavers offers a private dental screening for £27.90—the NHS Band 1 price.

Using your phone, you are guided through capturing images of every tooth. Every usable image is analysed, and the findings are explained in your personal Dental Wellness Report.

The screening can be completed in under five minutes from the comfort of home or, where available, from the convenience of your workplace, school or another participating location.

No travelling. No parking. No waiting room. No half-day away from work.

Screening does not diagnose dental conditions, replace a professional examination or remove the need for clinically necessary X-rays. It provides useful information that can help you decide what to do next:

Seek care promptly, arrange a routine appointment, obtain a professional review or continue monitoring.

The appointment itself may cost £27.90 or £55.

Your time can make it cost considerably more.

Screen First. Understand what has been observed. Then decide whether it is time to book.

Figures and NHS charges correct at 31 July 2026. NHS dental charges stated apply to England. The cost examples are illustrative and will vary according to earnings, travel and personal circumstances.