Tooth Crown Price in the UK
What an NHS crown costs in each nation, what private crowns are made of, why a front crown costs more than a back one, the extras a broken tooth can need, and how to choose where to go.
How Much Does a Tooth Crown Cost in the UK?
An NHS crown costs £332.10 in England, the Band 3 charge, and £140.44 in Wales, while Scottish adults who aren't exempt pay 80% of its NHS cost, capped at £384 per course, with treatment free under 26. Privately, each practice sets its own fee by tooth and material: at our practice in Hamilton, ceramic crowns start at £675 (back teeth) and £750 (front teeth), with gold quoted on request.
Tooth Crown Price: NHS and Private Compared
| Where and how | What you pay for a crown |
|---|---|
| NHS, England | £332.10, the Band 3 charge, one charge for the whole course |
| NHS, Scotland | 80% of the NHS cost (most per course: £384); under-26s free |
| NHS, Wales | £140.44, the crown and bridge care package; £384 at most a course |
| Private, in Hamilton | From £675 (back tooth) or £750 (front tooth); plan members from £608 |
The NHS figures are the charges in force in 2026; England's last went up on 1 April 2026. Exemptions differ between the nations. In Scotland, NHS dental examinations cost nothing for UK residents, and treatment is free during pregnancy, for a year after giving birth and with certain benefits. Northern Ireland sets its own charges. 1
What Are Crowns Made of, and Does the Material Change the Price?
- All-ceramic (porcelain). Tooth-coloured all the way through, so no dark line of metal shows at the gum.
- Glass-ceramic. Lithium disilicate, the material sold under the name E.max, is used where looks matter most, mainly at the front, because light passes through it much as it does through enamel.
- Zirconia. A very tough ceramic, suited to molars that take heavy chewing.
- Metal-ceramic. Porcelain fused over a metal base. Back-tooth crowns on the NHS may be made like this, or in metal alone.
- Gold. Thin yet hard to break, and kind to the teeth it bites against, which suits people who grind.
At Hamilton Smile Studios nearly every crown is ceramic. The laboratory makes it in glass-ceramic or zirconia according to the tooth, and both appear on our fee list as ceramic crowns: £675 and up at the back of the mouth, £750 and up at the front. 1 We quote for gold on request.
Is It a Crown, an Onlay or a Filling?
Book a dental examination in Hamilton and we'll tell you which the tooth needs, and the fee, in writing.
Why Does a Front Crown Cost More Than a Back One?
On our list a front-tooth crown is £750 and a back-tooth crown £675. A front crown sits in the middle of your smile beside natural teeth, so its shade, translucency and outline have to blend with them closely, which usually means more laboratory work. A back crown is shaped mainly for strength and a good bite, and is seen far less.
How Long Does a Crown Last, and Is It Worth the Cost?
A well-made crown often gives ten to fifteen years of service, sometimes a good deal more. What ends a crown's life is rarely the crown itself: it's new decay at the edge where crown meets tooth, gum disease, or a root-filled tooth underneath that cracks. Grinding at night shortens the life of any crown, which is why we may suggest a night guard (£210) for a grinder.
That's the fair way to weigh the price. A crown that keeps a cracked or heavily filled tooth working for a decade or more usually costs less over that time than losing the tooth and replacing it with an implant (from £2,605) or a bridge. Where a more conservative repair would do, such as an onlay (£750) that keeps more of your own tooth, a good dentist should say so first, even though the price is much the same.
What Else Can Add to the Tooth Crown Cost?
The crown fee pays for the crown. A tooth that's broken, heavily filled or root-treated may need work first, and every extra is priced in your written plan before anything starts:
| Possible extra | Fee |
|---|---|
| Small X-ray | £10 |
| Fibre post, to anchor a core in a root-filled tooth | £160 |
| Core build-up of a broken tooth | £350 |
| Root canal treatment, front tooth to molar | £450 to £595 |
| Raising a deep margin | £105 |
| Re-cementing a crown that has come off | £70 |
If most of the tooth's outer walls are still sound, an onlay at £750 may protect it with less drilling than a full crown. 1 Our guide to fillings, onlays and crowns explains how we decide between them.
NHS or Private Crown: What's Different?
The tooth is restored either way; what changes is how much say you have. An NHS crown is provided when the tooth clinically needs one, and for a back tooth the material may be metal, or metal beneath porcelain. Privately, you can have all-ceramic on any tooth, shaded to match the teeth around it. Being on our NHS list doesn't stop you paying privately for a crown on one tooth; your written plan shows which treatment falls under each. Hamilton Smile Studios is registering new NHS patients, adults as well as children.
How to Choose Where to Have a Crown
- Ask whether the tooth is worth crowning. An X-ray of the root and a check of the gum should come before any shaping, and a smaller repair is sometimes enough.
- Get the material named. A quote should say what the crown is made of and who makes it.
- Scan or putty. Many practices now take a 3D scan instead of an impression; ask which you'll have.
- Know the cost of problems. Ask what re-cementing or a replacement would cost if the crown came loose or chipped.
- See the whole fee in writing. Including any post, build-up or root canal treatment the tooth needs first.
Dental Crowns in Hamilton
Dr Karanveer Singh and Dr Lee Min Ning carry out our crown work. A crown takes two appointments, usually a week or two apart: at the first, the tooth is numbed, shaped and scanned with our iTero Lumina, and a temporary crown goes on; at the second, the finished crown is checked for fit, colour and bite, then bonded in place. Plan members pay 10% less. Our page on dental crowns in Hamilton covers the reasons for a crown and how to look after one.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.