A standard dental hygienist appointment in the UK costs between £60 and £150 privately, depending on where you live and what kind of clean you're after. For a straightforward scale and polish, most people pay somewhere in the £75-100 range. AirFlow treatments, which use that jet of air and fine powder to blast away stains, typically run £100-150.
That's the quick answer. But if you've never had a private hygiene appointment before, or you're trying to work out whether it's worth upgrading from a basic clean to something more thorough, it helps to understand what you're actually paying for.
What Affects the Price
The cost of seeing a hygienist varies quite a bit across the UK, and it's not always obvious why. Three main factors tend to drive the differences.
Location matters more than you'd think. London and the South East are predictably the most expensive, with standard cleans often starting at £100 and AirFlow treatments pushing £150. Manchester and Birmingham sit in the middle at £80-120. Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff tend to be more affordable at £70-100. Smaller towns can drop as low as £60 for a routine appointment.
This isn't because hygienists in London are dramatically better at their jobs. It's rent, staffing costs, and the general economics of running a practice in different areas. A clinic paying Mayfair rates has to charge accordingly.
The type of clean changes everything. A basic scale and polish is the entry point, usually 20-30 minutes of removing tartar and buffing things up. AirFlow or Guided Biofilm Therapy treatments take longer, use more sophisticated equipment, and deliver a deeper clean. They're particularly good at reaching areas that traditional scaling misses, including below the gumline.
Then there's deep cleaning for gum disease, which is a different proposition entirely. If you've got significant periodontal issues, you might need multiple longer sessions, and costs can climb accordingly.
How long it's been matters too. If you visit regularly, you're maintaining. If it's been a few years, there's more work to do. Some practices charge the same regardless, others adjust based on treatment time or complexity. It's worth asking what you're actually booking when you make an appointment.
Regional Price Breakdown
Here's what you can expect to pay across different parts of the UK in 2025:
London and the South East tend to be the most expensive, unsurprisingly. A standard 30-minute clean typically runs £85-120, while a 40-minute AirFlow session often costs £100-150. Some central London practices charge significantly more, particularly in areas like Harley Street where overheads are astronomical.
Manchester, Birmingham and the Midlands sit in a middle ground. Standard hygiene appointments generally fall between £75-100, with AirFlow treatments at £90-130. You'll find good practices at either end of that range.
Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff and similar cities often offer better value, with standard cleans at £65-90 and advanced treatments at £80-110. The quality of care isn't necessarily different; you're just paying less for the same training and equipment.
Smaller towns and rural areas can be the most affordable at £55-80 for a standard clean, though availability varies. Some areas have excellent local practices, others have limited options.
Here in North London, we charge £89 for a professional clean and £119 for AirFlow stain removal, which sits comfortably within the regional average.
What Actually Happens During a Hygiene Appointment
The reason hygienist visits exist is that even brilliant brushing and flossing can't remove tartar once it's formed. Tartar is mineralised plaque, basically calcified bacterial colonies that cement themselves to your teeth and provide perfect habitats for more bacteria to thrive.
A typical appointment starts with the hygienist having a proper look at your teeth and gums. They're assessing for signs of gum disease, checking how things have changed since your last visit, and working out where to focus their attention.
Then comes the actual cleaning. Most hygienists use ultrasonic scalers, which vibrate at high frequency to break up tartar deposits. It sounds more dramatic than it is. The sensation is a bit odd if you're not used to it, sort of a buzzing and spraying, but it's not painful for most people.
After scaling comes polishing, which smooths the tooth surfaces and removes surface stains. Some practices include this as standard, others offer it as an upgrade.
The whole thing usually takes 20-45 minutes depending on what's needed. You leave with teeth that feel genuinely different, that smooth, clean sensation that no amount of home brushing quite achieves.
Standard Clean vs AirFlow: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
AirFlow cleaning has become increasingly popular over the past few years, and for good reason. Instead of relying solely on metal instruments, it uses a controlled jet of air, warm water and fine powder (usually erythritol or bicarbonate) to blast away plaque, biofilm and stains.
The practical differences are notable. AirFlow reaches areas that traditional scaling sometimes misses, including up to 5mm into periodontal pockets below the gumline. It's particularly effective at removing stubborn stains from coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco. The fine powder gets into gaps between teeth and around dental work in ways that metal instruments can't match.
It's also more comfortable for many people. There's no scraping sensation, no metal-on-tooth contact that some find uncomfortable. People with sensitive teeth or dental anxiety often find AirFlow a much more pleasant experience.
For someone who visits regularly and has generally healthy teeth, a standard scale and polish does the job perfectly well. AirFlow becomes more valuable if you have significant staining, haven't had a clean in a while, have implants or other dental work that benefits from gentler cleaning, or simply prefer a more comfortable experience.
The price difference is usually £20-40. Whether that's worth it depends on your situation and preferences. Neither option is wrong.
The Economics of Prevention
There's a reason dentists keep banging on about regular hygiene visits. It's not just professional enthusiasm for clean teeth.
Gum disease is remarkably common, affecting over half of UK adults to some degree. In its early stages, it's entirely reversible with proper cleaning. Left unchecked, it becomes periodontitis, which destroys the bone supporting your teeth and eventually leads to tooth loss.
The maths here is fairly straightforward. Two hygiene appointments a year might cost £150-250. Treating advanced gum disease costs considerably more, both in money and in the much less fun experience of dealing with a genuine dental problem rather than maintaining what you already have.
Dental implants to replace teeth lost to gum disease start at around £2,500 each. Dentures are cheaper but come with their own complications. Prevention genuinely is cheaper than cure, which isn't always true in healthcare but certainly is here.
There's also emerging research linking gum disease to systemic health issues including heart disease, diabetes and respiratory problems. The exact mechanisms are still being investigated, but the association is clear enough that keeping gums healthy looks increasingly important beyond just dental concerns.
How Often Should You Actually Go?
The traditional advice is every six months, and for most people that's about right. Some people need more frequent visits, particularly if they have gum disease, are prone to tartar build-up, or have dental work that needs careful maintenance.
If your hygienist suggests you come more often, it's worth taking seriously. They're not trying to extract money from you; they're seeing something that suggests more frequent cleaning would help. Equally, if you've got excellent oral health and minimal tartar build-up, you might be fine with annual visits.
The honest answer is that it varies by individual. Some people produce tartar faster than others. Some are more susceptible to gum disease. Your hygienist can tell you what makes sense for your particular mouth.
What to Look for in a Hygienist
Not all hygiene appointments are equal. Some things that indicate you're in good hands:
Time matters. A 15-minute appointment can't achieve what a 30-minute one can. If you're being rushed in and out, you're probably not getting a thorough clean. We book 30-minute appointments as standard because that's what it takes to do the job properly.
Communication matters. A good hygienist explains what they're doing and why. They point out areas you're missing at home and give practical advice you can actually use. They don't lecture or make you feel guilty about that one time you forgot to floss.
Consistency matters. Seeing the same hygienist regularly means they know your mouth, can track changes over time, and spot problems earlier. If you're seeing someone different every visit, that continuity is lost.
Equipment matters. Modern ultrasonic scalers are more effective and comfortable than purely manual cleaning. AirFlow technology reaches places traditional methods miss. Practices that invest in good equipment tend to deliver better results.
The Direct Access Option
Since 2013, you can book directly with a dental hygienist without seeing a dentist first. This is called Direct Access, and it's useful if you just want a clean without a full dental examination.
That said, there are good reasons to maintain regular dentist visits alongside hygiene appointments. Dentists check for things hygienists don't, including cavities, oral cancer screening, and assessment of existing dental work. If you haven't seen a dentist recently, a combined approach makes sense.
For ongoing maintenance when you're already in a good dental routine, Direct Access to a hygienist can be a convenient and cost-effective option.
What We Charge
At Dentozen, our hygiene pricing is straightforward:
A professional clean costs £89, reduced from £99. This is a thorough scale and polish that removes plaque and tartar, leaving your teeth genuinely clean.
AirFlow stain removal costs £119, reduced from £130. This uses EMS AirFlow technology for advanced cleaning that removes stubborn stains and reaches areas traditional scaling can miss.
For patients with gum disease, we offer deep cleaning from £199, which provides more intensive periodontal treatment. Ongoing gum maintenance appointments are £130.
No emergency premiums, no hidden fees. The price you see is the price you pay.
Making It Work Financially
Hygiene appointments are an ongoing cost, but there are ways to make them more manageable.
Membership plans can reduce per-visit costs significantly. Many practices, including ours, offer monthly payment schemes that include hygiene visits and check-ups at better rates than paying individually.
Combined appointments sometimes offer savings. Booking a hygiene visit alongside a dental examination can be more cost-effective than two separate trips.
Private health insurance increasingly covers dental hygiene. Check your policy details, as coverage varies widely.
The most expensive option, ultimately, is skipping hygiene appointments until something goes wrong. Treatment is always more expensive than prevention.
The Bottom Line
Professional hygiene appointments cost more than doing nothing, but considerably less than dealing with the problems that develop when you skip them. Finding a good hygienist at a reasonable price, then actually showing up twice a year, is one of the better investments you can make in your dental health.
The technology keeps improving, the experience keeps getting more comfortable, and the evidence for prevention keeps getting stronger. It's not the most exciting way to spend £89, but it's a much better use of money than root canals or extractions down the line.
If you're looking for a dental hygienist in North London, we'd be happy to see you. Book an appointment or give us a call if you have questions about what you need.