Emergency tooth extraction costs £80-£650 privately in the UK depending on complexity, with most patients paying £149-£299 for standard procedures.
NHS emergency extractions cost £75.30 under Band 2 treatment in England (April 2025 pricing). Wales charges £60, while Scotland and Northern Ireland charge 80% of the dentist's fee capped at £384.
Those NHS prices look appealing until you discover that 90% of dental practices in the UK won't take new NHS patients. Most of the remaining 10% have only a handful of new NHS spots annually, making NHS emergency care effectively inaccessible unless you're already a registered NHS patient.
For the vast majority of people facing dental emergencies, private care is the only realistic option. Here's what actually determines whether you pay £99 or £650 for the same extraction.
The Emergency Consultation Fee Nobody Mentions
Emergency extraction costs consist of two separate charges: the emergency consultation fee and the extraction procedure itself. Most people don't realize they're paying for both until the bill arrives.
Emergency consultation fees range £80-£250 during regular hours at most practices. Evening appointments escalate to £150-£350. Out-of-hours care (late night, weekends) hits £200-£500 for just the assessment before any treatment.
Some practices include the consultation fee in their quoted extraction price. Others charge separately, turning a £149 extraction quote into a £229-£399 total bill once the emergency appointment fee gets added.
Registered patients at practices typically pay lower emergency consultation fees (£50-£100) than new patients (£100-£250). The registration premium exists because practices prioritize their existing patient base for emergency slots.
Simple Versus Surgical Extraction Price Gaps
Simple extractions for fully visible, easily accessible teeth cost £80-£250. The dentist loosens the tooth with an instrument then removes it with forceps in 10-20 minutes under local anesthetic.
Surgical extractions for impacted, broken, or awkwardly positioned teeth run £200-£650. These require cutting into gum tissue, potentially removing bone, and sometimes sectioning the tooth into pieces for removal. The procedure takes 30-60 minutes with more complex anesthetic requirements.
Wisdom teeth frequently require surgical extraction because they're impacted or positioned awkwardly at the back of the jaw. Single wisdom tooth surgical extraction costs £250-£600. Removing all four wisdom teeth simultaneously runs £800-£2,400 depending on impaction severity.
The extraction type determines not just immediate costs but recovery time and complication risk. Simple extractions heal in 3-5 days with minimal discomfort. Surgical extractions require 7-14 days healing with significant swelling and discomfort for the first 3-4 days.
Why Private Extraction Costs Jumped 32% Since 2022
Private extraction costs rose 32% from 2022 to 2025, the steepest increase among common dental procedures. The NHS dental crisis drove this surge as patients unable to access NHS care flooded private practices with emergency cases.
The supply-demand imbalance gave private practices pricing power they'd never had before. When 90% of people can't access NHS dentistry, private practices can charge whatever the market bears because patients have no alternatives.
Regional variations create bizarre pricing patterns. London emergency extractions cost £100-£350 for simple cases. Manchester runs £80-£250. Birmingham sits at £90-£280. But Edinburgh frequently exceeds London at £120-£400 despite Scotland's generally lower dental costs.
Enfield practices typically charge £99-£149 for emergency consultations and £149-£299 for simple extractions, sitting 10-15% below central London rates. The treatment quality matches London standards without West End rent premiums.
The Out-of-Hours Emergency Premium
Weekend emergency appointments add £50-£150 to standard extraction costs. Evening appointments (after 6pm) add £30-£100. Late night emergencies (after 10pm) can add £150-£300 just for the timing.
A £149 weekday extraction becomes £199-£299 on weekends and £299-£449 late night. Most practices offering after-hours care structure pricing to discourage non-urgent cases from using premium slots.
Some practices operate dedicated emergency dental services with fixed pricing regardless of timing. These typically charge £150-£250 for consultations and £200-£350 for extractions at all hours, making them potentially cheaper than regular practices' weekend premiums.
The out-of-hours pricing creates perverse incentives. People delay emergency care to avoid weekend surcharges, turning manageable situations into severe infections requiring hospitalization at far greater cost.
When Delaying Emergency Extraction Costs More
Infections spreading from abscessed teeth require antibiotics (£25-£40) plus extraction once the infection clears. Delaying treatment allows infections to worsen, potentially requiring hospital admission for IV antibiotics at several thousand pounds.
Broken teeth left untreated develop decay in exposed areas, eventually requiring more extensive surgery to extract remaining roots. Simple extractions at £149 become surgical extractions at £300-£450 when treatment delays allow further deterioration.
Teeth cracked but not fully broken sometimes get saved with crowns (£600-£1,200) if treated immediately. Delaying treatment allows cracks to propagate, making extraction inevitable and eliminating the crown option entirely.
The financial calculus clearly favors immediate treatment despite emergency pricing premiums. A £299 weekend emergency extraction beats a £450 weekday surgical extraction after the tooth deteriorates further.
Local Anesthetic Versus Sedation Costs
Local anesthetic comes included in standard extraction prices. The injection numbs the extraction site and surrounding tissue, making the procedure pain-free though you remain fully conscious.
Conscious sedation (nitrous oxide or oral sedatives) adds £80-£150 to extraction costs. You remain awake but deeply relaxed, with reduced awareness of the procedure. Useful for anxious patients or complex extractions requiring extended time.
IV sedation adds £200-£400 to extraction costs. You drift into a sleep-like state with no memory of the procedure, though you can respond to instructions. Required for severe dental anxiety or extremely complex surgical extractions.
General anesthetic requiring an anesthesiologist adds £500-£1,000+ to extraction costs. Only used for multiple complex extractions simultaneously or patients with severe medical conditions making other options unsuitable.
The sedation choice balances anxiety management against cost. Local anesthetic works fine for most people despite causing some discomfort. Paying £200 extra for IV sedation makes sense for severe dental phobia but not routine anxiety.
What Emergency Extraction Prices Actually Include
Budget emergency extractions at £80-£149 typically include only the extraction itself plus local anesthetic. X-rays cost £12-£40 extra. Follow-up appointments cost £50-£80 extra.
Mid-range emergency extractions at £150-£250 usually include consultation, necessary X-rays, the extraction, and one follow-up appointment within two weeks.
Premium emergency packages at £280-£350 include comprehensive examination, all imaging, the extraction, prescription medications if needed, detailed aftercare instructions, and 24/7 emergency contact access during recovery.
The inclusions determine real costs. A £99 extraction requiring separate £40 X-rays and £60 follow-up costs £199 total. A £199 all-inclusive package delivers better value despite higher headline price.
NHS Emergency Extraction Reality
NHS emergency extractions cost £75.30 in England under Band 2 treatment (April 2025 rates). This includes examination, X-rays, extraction, and basic follow-up care.
Complex surgical extractions requiring specialist techniques fall under Band 3 at £326.70. This covers implant-level complexity or extreme positioning issues requiring specialist referral.
Immediate emergency care (pain relief and temporary measures without extraction) costs £27.40 under Band 1. If extraction becomes necessary later, you pay Band 2 fees separately.
The catch: NHS emergency slots go to registered patients first. New patients seeking NHS emergency care face weeks-long waiting lists that contradict the definition of "emergency." By the time an NHS appointment becomes available, the emergency has either resolved or worsened dramatically.
Same-Day Emergency Extraction Access
Private emergency practices offering same-day treatment charge £50-£100 premium over standard rates but deliver treatment within 2-4 hours of calling. The speed premium makes sense for genuine emergencies where pain prevents normal function.
Regular dental practices offering emergency slots for registered patients typically see you within 24-48 hours at standard pricing. New patients at these practices wait 3-7 days even for "emergency" appointments.
Dedicated emergency dental services operate walk-in clinics seeing patients without appointments during business hours. These charge £150-£250 for consultations but eliminate waiting entirely.
The access speed determines whether emergency pricing delivers value. Paying £250 for immediate treatment beats £149 treatment in three days when you're in severe pain affecting work and sleep.
Bone Grafting and Socket Preservation Costs
Extracting teeth destined for future implant replacement should include socket preservation to maintain bone volume. This adds £150-£300 to extraction costs but eliminates the need for £400-£1,200 bone grafting later.
Without socket preservation, the bone socket collapses during healing, losing 40-60% of volume within three months. Future implant placement then requires grafting to rebuild the lost bone.
Emergency extractions rarely include socket preservation unless specifically requested. The focus is removing the problem tooth rather than planning for future restoration.
If you anticipate wanting an implant eventually, the £200 socket preservation cost during emergency extraction saves £600+ in future grafting costs while providing better long-term implant success odds.
Post-Extraction Complication Costs
Dry socket (lost blood clot exposing bone) develops in 2-5% of extractions, more frequently with surgical procedures. Treatment costs £60-£120 per visit, typically requiring 2-3 visits over 7-10 days.
Infection developing after extraction requires antibiotics (£25-£40) and potentially additional treatment appointments (£50-£100) to drain infection or re-clean the socket.
Excessive bleeding requiring emergency return visits costs £80-£150 for hemorrhage control procedures. This occurs more frequently with surgical extractions or patients on blood-thinning medications.
These complication costs aren't included in initial extraction quotes. Budget an additional £100-£200 contingency for potential post-extraction complications requiring additional care.
Replacement Options After Emergency Extraction
Leaving extraction sites empty works short-term but causes adjacent teeth to drift into gaps and opposing teeth to over-erupt. These changes require orthodontic correction costing £2,000-£5,000 if allowed to progress.
Dental bridges replacing the extracted tooth cost £750-£2,400 and last 5-15 years. Bridges require grinding down adjacent teeth permanently to serve as anchors.
Dental implants replacing extracted teeth cost £1,800-£3,800 and typically last 25+ years. Implants don't affect adjacent teeth and prevent bone loss in the extraction site.
Partial dentures filling extraction gaps cost £400-£800 and require replacement every 5-7 years. They're removable and less comfortable than bridges or implants but dramatically cheaper initially.
The replacement decision should happen before emergency extraction. Socket preservation during extraction costs £150-£300 but dramatically improves future implant success while costing far less than repairing bone loss later.
When Emergency Extraction Isn't Actually Necessary
Severe toothaches from deep cavities sometimes get saved with root canals (£400-£600) instead of extraction. Root canals cost 2-3x more than extraction but preserve the natural tooth.
Cracked teeth causing pain occasionally get saved with crowns (£600-£1,200) reinforcing the remaining structure. This works only if the crack doesn't extend below the gum line.
Abscessed teeth always require extraction or root canal treatment. Antibiotics alone never cure dental abscesses - they temporarily reduce infection while the underlying cause remains.
Emergency practices should always present alternatives to extraction when viable options exist. Practices pushing immediate extraction without discussing tooth-saving options prioritize revenue over patient care.
The Bottom Line on Emergency Extraction Costs
Emergency tooth extraction costs £80-£650 privately in the UK, with most patients paying £149-£299 for standard procedures. Emergency consultation fees of £80-£250 get charged separately at many practices, raising total costs to £229-£549.
NHS emergency extractions cost £75.30 in England under Band 2 treatment, but 90% of practices won't take new NHS patients. NHS emergency care remains effectively inaccessible unless you're already a registered NHS patient.
Private costs jumped 32% since 2022 as NHS dental crisis drove patients into private care. Regional variations see Edinburgh exceeding London pricing despite Scotland's generally lower dental costs.
Weekend appointments add £50-£150 to extraction costs. Out-of-hours care (evenings, late night) adds £150-£300. Same-day emergency treatment commands £50-£100 premiums but delivers care within 2-4 hours.
Sedation options add £80-£150 for conscious sedation or £200-£400 for IV sedation to standard extraction costs. General anesthetic adds £500-£1,000+ but rarely gets used except for extreme cases.
Socket preservation for future implant placement adds £150-£300 to emergency extraction costs but saves £400-£1,200 in future bone grafting expenses while improving implant success rates.