£2,000 Crowns Aren't the UK's Dental Problem

When you’ve got a bad toothache and there’s no immediate relief available, you need something to take your mind off the pain. The Competition and Markets Authority’s study into the supply of private dental services in the UK has the look of a distraction. The antitrust regulator initiated the review last month following a request from Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. But focusing on private dentists obscures the real source of discomfort: an unsolved crisis in state-provided care.

The concern cited by Reeves is inflation and whether competition is functioning effectively to keep prices down. It’s true that private dental costs are much higher than under the state-run National Health Service, and the gap has been widening. Between 2022 and 2024, the average price of an initial consultation rose more than 23% to £80 ($106) and routine checkups for existing patients by 14% to £55, according to the CMA. A consultation on the NHS costs £27.90 as of April. The differential can be more extreme for complicated work. Have two dental crowns on the NHS and it will set you back £332.10. Go private and the price is likely to be at least £1,000 — or more than £2,000 for more aesthetically pleasing materials such as porcelain.