Material
Zirconia costs £200 more than porcelain because the material and milling are dearer and because it is chosen for molars under heavy load, where longevity justifies it. Front teeth rarely need it.
Fees guide · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Dental crown cost in London: porcelain, zirconia and the extras that change the bill
The fee for a crown is mostly the fee for a technician’s time and a block of ceramic, plus two clinical visits. At Wimpole Street a porcelain crown is £995 and a zirconia crown £1,195, and either figure covers the preparation, a temporary, the laboratory work and the fitting. Where quotes diverge between practices is in what surrounds the crown: whether the tooth needs a core built up first, whether the nerve has to be treated, whether a post is required, and what the examination and radiographs cost. This guide lists our prices, explains each of those additions, states what is included and what is not, and puts the figures in the context of the London market.
Typical range
£995 – £1,195
Per crown. Core build-ups, root canal treatment and posts, where needed, are listed separately below.
Price list
Wimpole Street fees
| Treatment | Fee |
|---|---|
Porcelain (lithium disilicate) crown Preparation, temporary crown, laboratory fee and fitting. | From £995 |
Zirconia crown Milled zirconia for molars and heavy bites; same inclusions. | From £1,195 |
Metal-ceramic crown Porcelain layered over a metal shell. | From £995 |
Core build-up Bonded composite rebuilding a broken-down tooth before preparation. | Quoted per case |
Root canal treatment, if needed £695 front tooth, £795 premolar, £895 molar. | From £695 |
Night guard Advised for anyone who grinds, to protect the ceramic. | From £185 |
New patient examination Introductory rate; usual fee £95. Radiographs £20 each. | £30 |
Fees apply from 1 October 2026 and mirror our South Kensington and St Paul's price lists. Your own figure is confirmed in writing after an examination.
Variables
What changes the price
How much tooth is left
A tooth broken down to a stump needs a core, and sometimes a post inside the root, before it can hold a crown. These are separate items and are the commonest reason two crown quotes differ.
The state of the nerve
If the nerve is dying or dead, root canal treatment must come first, adding £695 to £895. A healthy nerve is left alone and costs nothing extra.
Replacing an old crown
Cutting off an existing crown and dealing with whatever is beneath it can take longer than a first crown. The crown fee is the same but a build-up is more likely.
Position and appearance
A front crown that must match a single neighbour may need a custom shade visit or an extra try-in. The list price holds; the visits add time rather than money.
Protecting the investment
A night guard from £185 is not part of the crown fee, but for a grinder it is the cheapest way to avoid paying for the crown twice.
Small print
What's included, and what isn't
Included in the fee
- Local anaesthetic and preparation of the tooth.
- A chairside temporary crown worn while the laboratory works.
- A digital scan or impression and all laboratory fees.
- Try-in, bite adjustment, cementation and polishing at the fitting visit.
- A radiograph confirming the margin after fitting.
- Our warranty on the crown, subject to terms and regular examinations.
Charged separately
- The new patient examination at £30 (usual fee £95) and radiographs at £20 each.
- Core build-up or post where the tooth is badly broken down.
- Root canal treatment from £695 where the nerve is compromised.
- A night guard from £185.
- Gum treatment or crown lengthening where the margin would otherwise sit too deep.
- Replacement at the end of the crown’s life or after trauma.
Paying
Spreading the cost
A crown is often an unplanned expense after a fracture, and spreading it helps. Interest-free instalments over up to twelve months are available on eligible plans, subject to status. A zirconia crown at £1,195 over twelve months would be just under £100 a month with nothing added; a porcelain crown at £995 would be about £83.
Payment is otherwise taken in two parts: half at preparation and the balance at fitting. Any root canal treatment or build-up is settled at the visit it is carried out.
Finance is subject to status and terms apply. Medical and Dental Limited is a credit broker, not a lender. Monthly figures are illustrations; your own terms are confirmed in writing before you sign.
Context
How we compare
Private crown fees in London generally run from about £500 to £1,500, with the lowest figures often for metal-ceramic crowns made abroad and the highest from specialist prosthodontic practices in W1. Some quotes exclude the temporary, the laboratory fee or the fitting visit, so a headline number can understate the total by several hundred pounds.
Our £995 and £1,195 fees are the same across all three Medical & Dental clinics and are inclusive of the whole crown process. What we would encourage you to ask elsewhere is which laboratory makes the crown, what the material actually is, and whether build-ups and root treatments have been assessed before the quote was given rather than discovered afterwards.
FAQ
Questions about cost
Usually because the higher one includes a core build-up or root canal treatment that the lower one has not yet mentioned. Ask for the itemised total, not the crown fee alone.
On a molar in someone who grinds, yes, because fracture is the main way crowns fail there. On a front tooth, porcelain looks better and is strong enough, so the extra is rarely justified.
No. It is made at the chair during the preparation visit and is part of the fee.
Only if tests and the radiograph show the nerve is dying or already dead. Most teeth crowned for fracture or a failing filling keep a healthy nerve and need nothing extra.
Where enough of the tooth survives, an onlay covers only the damaged part, saves tooth and costs less. We suggest it whenever it is a sound option.
Yes, interest-free over up to twelve months on eligible plans, subject to status. Medical and Dental Limited is a credit broker, not a lender, and terms apply.
No. These prices apply now at South Kensington and St Paul’s and will apply at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026.
Marylebone, W1
A written quote before anything begins
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026. Register now for the Marylebone diary, or book a consultation at South Kensington or St Paul's where the same fees already apply.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
