Milton Keynes named cheapest in UK for dental check-ups

The cheapest average price for dental check-up can be found right here in the city at £31, joint cheapest alongside Birmingham, while Liverpool has the most expensive at a whopping £77.

The price of private dental care in the UK varies dramatically by postcode, with a difference of 80% in price for routine check-ups across the country.

The national average cost for a simple check-up is now £51, an increase of an eye-watering 42% compared to last year, according to new research released by global healthcare search engine, WhatClinic.com.

That means on average MK is fully £20 cheaper than the national average.

The data, based on fees charged by 14,000 private dentists, looked at the prices of the five most common dental treatments in 20 towns and cities in the UK. The findings highlighted the extensive differences in prices across the country and revealed the huge savings that can be made.

The cost can also vary drastically within cities, as London offers both the most expensive and the best value clinics with respective prices of £255 and £15 for a routine check-up – that’s a difference of £240.

Demand for dental implants has surged as enquiries are up by 87% since April 2015. The average cost of dental implants has increased by 42% to £2,814 in the same time period, making the procedure £700 more expensive, on average, than this time last year.

“The UK is well behind European equivalent surgeries for this procedure,” according to Sandeep Senghera, a former dentist and Head of Dentistry at WhatClinic.com.

“A combination of a strengthening economy, a rise in awareness and affordable payment options has created an environment where patient demand is rapidly growing for dental implants, with high street dentists increasingly offering the treatment. The price of dental care has increased for all procedures in the last year, higher than inflation.”

Veneers is another procedure which has seen an increase in enquiries over the past 12 months, with enquiries to Whatclinic.com rising by 68%. This upsurge could be linked to trends in the US and celebrities creating the demand by associating success with a pearly white smile, according to Dr. Senghera.

The average national cost of veneers is £457 with MK costing on average £446. Belfast is listed as the least expensive city for veneers (£265) and London (£559) the most expensive, on average.

The average cost of teeth whitening has decreased slightly since April 2015, by 4% to £293. According to Dr. Senghera most dental clinics in the UK now offer this ‘affordable and effective treatment’ and as supply has risen there has been a consistency in prices.

Some dentists even offer teeth whitening free of charge as part of other cosmetic treatments.

The average starting price for teeth whitening varies across the UK by £140. The cheapest is in Plymouth (£223) - £70 cheaper than the national average price - while here in MK the cost is £268.

When it comes to root canal, though, it is also painful for your wallet if you live in Milton Keynes where the average of £349 for a root canal treatment makes it one of the most expensive places in the entire country.