Saturday morning. Your tooth decides that today's the day it's going to stage a rebellion. The pain isn't just uncomfortable—it's the kind that makes you wonder if your face has developed its own heartbeat.
You need help. Now. Not Monday. Not "when you can get an appointment." Now.
So you start searching: "emergency dentist North London." And that's when the real questions begin. How much will this cost? Which practices are actually open? Will they even see you today?
Here's what you'll actually pay across North London in 2025, broken down by area and situation.
The Emergency Examination Fee
This is where everything starts. Before any treatment happens, you need an examination to work out what's causing the problem. Think of it as the diagnostic fee—the cost of having a dentist assess what's wrong and explain your options.
Across North London, emergency examination fees range from £65 to £150. The variation matters because you're not just paying for the examination itself. You're paying for:
- Same-day availability (practices that keep emergency slots open)
- Digital X-rays when needed to see what's happening below the gum line
- Treatment planning and explanation of next steps
- Initial pain relief measures
Some practices advertise competitive rates but add charges for X-rays separately. Others include basic diagnostic imaging in their examination fee. Knowing what counts as a dental emergency helps you understand whether your situation warrants immediate attention.
Our practice charges £65 for an emergency examination, which includes the assessment and any necessary X-rays to determine the problem. No hidden extras, no surprises when you're already dealing with enough stress.
Weekend and Bank Holiday Premiums
Here's where it gets interesting. The same examination that costs £45-£60 on a Wednesday afternoon can jump to £150-£250 on a Saturday, and £200-£350 on a Sunday.
Why the increase? It comes down to supply and demand in its most basic form. Most dental practices close for the weekend. The handful that remain open know they're one of few options available when you're in genuine need.
Camden and King's Cross practices tend to charge £150-£200 for weekend emergencies. Enfield and Palmers Green hover around £60-£120. Central areas like Tottenham and Seven Sisters fall somewhere in between, typically £80-£150 for weekend appointments.
Bank holidays push prices even higher. That Monday when everything else is closed? Expect to add another £50-£100 to whatever the Sunday rate would have been.
The economics make sense from the practice's perspective—they're paying staff premium rates to work unsociable hours. From your perspective, though, a severe toothache doesn't care what day of the week it is.
Treatment Costs After the Examination
The examination fee gets you in the door and tells you what's wrong. Actually fixing the problem costs extra. Here's what common emergency treatments typically run across North London:
Emergency tooth extraction: £299-£450, depending on complexity. A straightforward extraction of a fully visible tooth sits at the lower end. Surgical extractions, where the tooth is broken or impacted, move toward the upper range.
Lost filling replacement: £175-£260. The cost varies based on the size of the cavity and which tooth is affected. Front teeth tend toward the lower end, back molars toward the higher.
Broken tooth repair: £250-£500. Minor chips can often be fixed with composite bonding in a single visit. Extensive breaks requiring crowns or more complex work push costs higher and may need follow-up appointments.
Root canal emergency treatment: £499-£599. This gets you started on treatment to save an infected tooth. Front teeth cost less than molars, which have multiple root canals to clean and seal.
Dental abscess treatment: £65 examination plus treatment costs. Sometimes this means antibiotics and drainage (included in the exam fee), other times it requires root canal work or extraction to properly address the infection.
The pattern you'll notice: practices in Camden, Hampstead, and other Zone 2 areas charge 20-30% more than those in Enfield, Palmers Green, or Edmonton. You're paying for location as much as treatment.
Geographic Variations Within North London
North London isn't one homogeneous pricing area. Where you are matters considerably.
Zone 2 and Central Areas (Camden, Hampstead, King's Cross, Archway): Emergency examination: £80-£150 Extraction: £350-£450 Root canal: £500-£650
Zone 3 and 4 Areas (Enfield, Palmers Green, Edmonton, Tottenham): Emergency examination: £45-£80 Extraction: £299-£350 Root canal: £499-£550
Zone 5 and Outer Areas (Cockfosters, Oakwood, Southgate): Emergency examination: £45-£70 Extraction: £299-£350 Root canal: £499-£549
Transport links partially explain this. Practices near major Underground stations charge more. Those requiring a bus journey or a bit of a walk from the nearest station often charge less. Rent costs factor in as well—a practice in Camden pays significantly more for their premises than one in Enfield.
What "24-Hour Emergency Dentist" Actually Means
You'll see plenty of North London practices advertising 24-hour emergency care. Here's what that usually means in practice:
Most operate on an on-call system. You ring a number, someone takes your details, and a dentist contacts you back to arrange an appointment. True walk-in emergency care at 3am exists, but it's rare and expensive.
The 24-hour dentists near Tottenham and Seven Sisters typically mean "we have appointments available outside normal hours, including evenings and weekends." They're not suggesting you can show up at midnight expecting immediate treatment.
Genuine 24/7 walk-in care in North London exists mainly in central areas like Harley Street, and you'll pay accordingly—often £300+ just for the emergency consultation at unsociable hours.
If you're dealing with something that genuinely can't wait until morning—uncontrollable bleeding, severe facial swelling affecting your breathing, trauma from an accident—that's A&E territory, not emergency dentist territory.
For everything else, practices offering same-day and weekend appointments provide what most people actually need when they say "emergency dentist."
The Hidden Cost: What Happens After the Emergency Appointment
Here's something most practices won't tell you upfront: emergency appointments often provide temporary solutions, not permanent fixes.
That emergency root canal treatment we mentioned? The £499-£599 fee covers cleaning out the infection and sealing the tooth temporarily. The permanent restoration—usually a crown—costs another £499-£599 and requires a separate appointment.
Emergency extractions are straightforward: once the tooth is out, you're done. But if you want to replace it eventually, you're looking at dental implant costs of £2,600+ or a dental bridge at £499-£1,200.
Emergency fillings work well as immediate fixes, but they may need replacement with permanent restorations at your follow-up appointment, particularly for larger cavities or more visible teeth.
Understanding the full cost picture matters because that "quick fix" emergency appointment might be the first step in a longer treatment journey.
Payment Options When You Need Emergency Care
Most North London emergency dentists require payment on the day. Credit cards, debit cards, cash—they'll take it all. What they won't do is send you a bill to pay later.
Some practices offer payment plans for more expensive treatments. If your emergency requires £1,000+ worth of work, ask about financing options before committing. Many work with companies like Chrysalis Finance or Denplan to spread costs over monthly payments.
Our practice offers flexible payment arrangements for emergency work that extends beyond the initial appointment. We understand that dental emergencies don't announce themselves in advance so you can budget accordingly.
One option worth considering: dental practice membership plans. These typically cost £15-£30 monthly and include discounted emergency appointments, sometimes 24-hour helpline access, and reduced treatment fees. If you've had one expensive emergency, a membership plan might prevent the next one from being quite so costly.
Finding Emergency Care in Your Part of North London
If you're in Enfield, Palmers Green, or nearby: We're located in Enfield and offer same-day emergency appointments at £65, significantly less than many practices in more central areas. We keep emergency slots available specifically for these situations.
If you're in Camden, King's Cross, or Regent's Park: Multiple practices near Camden Town and King's Cross stations offer same-day care. Expect to pay £100-£150 for the examination, with treatment costs at the higher end of the ranges mentioned above.
If you're in Tottenham or Edmonton: Several practices along the High Road and near transport links provide emergency appointments. Costs typically fall in the middle range—£60-£100 for examinations, reasonable treatment fees.
If you're in Hampstead or Highgate: Premium pricing reflects premium postcodes. You'll pay more for emergency care here than anywhere else in North London, often 30-40% above Enfield prices for identical treatments.
The key with any emergency is getting help quickly. If the first practice you call can't see you today, ask them to recommend someone who can. Most will point you toward colleagues with availability.
What the NHS Covers (Or Doesn't)
Straight answer: if you're dealing with a dental emergency and you're not already an NHS patient at a specific practice, your chances of getting same-day NHS emergency care in North London are essentially zero.
NHS emergency slots exist in theory. In practice, they're allocated to existing patients of that practice. If you're not registered there already, you're not getting one of those emergency appointments.
NHS 111 can direct you toward NHS emergency dental services, but "emergency" in NHS terms often means "we can see you in 2-3 days," which doesn't help much when you're in pain right now.
Private emergency care fills this gap. That's why the market exists, and why prices reflect the fact that when you need help immediately, you're going to pay for it.
The Reality of Emergency Dental Costs
Emergency dental care in North London costs what it costs because it operates in a market where immediate access has genuine value. When you're in pain, three days feels like three weeks. Same-day appointments command a premium because they're actually available when you need them.
The price variations across different areas of North London reflect rent, staffing costs, and local market conditions. But they also reflect something else: whether the practice has positioned itself as an accessible option for working families or as a premium service for those who want every appointment in the most convenient location possible.
Our £65 emergency examinations in Enfield make immediate care genuinely accessible. We've structured things this way deliberately, because dental emergencies happen to everyone, regardless of whether they've budgeted for them.
Whether you're dealing with a lost filling, a broken tooth, or severe pain that won't let up, the cost of emergency care shouldn't be the thing that stops you from getting help.
If you're in North London and need emergency dental care, book an appointment with us. Same-day slots available, transparent pricing, and no hidden fees when you're already dealing with enough stress.