How much does wisdom tooth removal cost in the UK? (2026 price guide)
Yanking a wisdom tooth privately in the UK usually runs from £65 for an easy one up to £700 – and more if it’s impacted and punted to an oral surgeon. Wisdom teeth are the divas of your mouth: right at the back, often wonky or buried, and the most likely to need actual surgery. So what you pay boils down to one thing – how much of a fight yours puts up on the way out.
Simple vs impacted – the main price driver
“Wisdom tooth removal” is really two very different jobs wearing the same name – and the gap between them is where most of your money disappears:
- Simple (erupted) removal – the tooth’s already through the gum and gets loosened and lifted out like any other back tooth. Usually a general dentist job, at the cheap end of the range.
- Surgical (impacted) removal – the tooth’s trapped under the gum or bone, or growing sideways, so the dentist makes a small cut and may slice the tooth into pieces to get it out. More time, more skill, sometimes a referral – the top end or beyond.
Simple vs surgical, side by side
| Feature | Simple removal | Impacted / surgical |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Lower end | Top end or referral |
| Done by | Often a general dentist | Often an oral surgeon |
| Anaesthetic | Local | Local, sometimes with sedation |
| Time in the chair | Quick | Longer |
| Recovery | A few days | Around one to two weeks |
| Imaging | Standard X-ray | Sometimes a 3D CBCT scan |
What’s included – and what’s extra
A wisdom tooth quote should cover the removal, the local anaesthetic and your aftercare. After that, keep an eye out for the usual sneaky add-ons:
- Consultation and X-ray – most clinics charge for the first look; ask whether it’s baked into the price or bolted on top.
- 3D CBCT scan – sometimes needed for impacted lower wisdom teeth (to map the nerve), and it’s charged on top.
- Sedation – IV or gas sedation for nervous patients or tricky removals is an extra.
- Referral to an oral surgeon – specialist fees sit higher than a general dentist’s; you’re paying for the fancier chair.
This is exactly why two “wisdom tooth” quotes can look wildly different – always demand the fully itemised total.
Does where you live change the price?
Yep. London and the big cities charge more, and specialist or referral clinics cost more than your local dentist. The cheapest city we track for extractions is Liverpool (from £65). Compare real prices near you:
| City | From | Typical | Clinics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £75 | £210 | 154 | Compare |
| Manchester | £115 | £188 | 24 | Compare |
| Birmingham | £89 | £150 | 22 | Compare |
| Liverpool | £65 | £187.50 | 14 | Compare |
| Bristol | £95 | £205 | 13 | Compare |
| Glasgow | £65 | £119 | 12 | Compare |
| Edinburgh | £85.74 | £150 | 11 | Compare |
| Ipswich | £149 | £199 | 11 | Compare |
| Leicester | £101.15 | £159 | 11 | Compare |
| Cardiff | £67 | £150 | 9 | Compare |
| Milton Keynes | £130 | £179 | 9 | Compare |
| Norwich | £130 | £200 | 9 | Compare |
| Nottingham | £86 | £137 | 9 | Compare |
| Plymouth | £90 | £185 | 9 | Compare |
| Cambridge | £150 | £185 | 8 | Compare |
| Leeds | £120 | £150 | 8 | Compare |
| Reading | £75 | £164.50 | 8 | Compare |
| Southampton | £120 | £152.50 | 8 | Compare |
| Derby | £110 | £173 | 7 | Compare |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £110 | £155 | 7 | Compare |
| Swansea | £94.50 | £120 | 7 | Compare |
| Wolverhampton | £110 | £180 | 7 | Compare |
| Bournemouth | £105 | £235 | 6 | Compare |
| Hull | £120 | £149 | 5 | Compare |
| Sheffield | £200 | £220 | 5 | Compare |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £120 | £150 | 5 | Compare |
| Coventry | £86 | £155 | 4 | Compare |
| Luton | £184 | £256.50 | 4 | Compare |
| Oxford | £130 | £185 | 4 | Compare |
| Portsmouth | £114.75 | £140 | 4 | Compare |
Live data from TreatmentCosts - updated automatically as clinics change their prices.
NHS vs private wisdom tooth removal
On the NHS, wisdom tooth removal is a fixed band charge, and that one charge covers every extraction in the same course of treatment – so the NHS is usually the cheaper bet. The catch is getting in: the NHS only pulls wisdom teeth when there’s a clear clinical reason (pain, infection, damage), in line with NICE guidance, and messy cases can mean a hospital referral and a wait. People go private mainly for speed, the option of sedation, and more than five minutes with the dentist.
How to avoid overpaying
- Nail down the consultation and X-ray fee up front, and whether it comes off the treatment cost.
- Ask if it’s a simple or surgical removal – it’s the single biggest thing moving the price.
- Check whether sedation and any 3D scan are quoted separately. They usually are.
- See if the NHS will do it first for the tooth in question – it’s usually cheaper if you qualify.
- Ring round two or three clinics – the gap between the cheapest and dearest we track is £635.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to remove one wisdom tooth privately?
A simple wisdom tooth removal sits in the lower-to-middle of the £65–£700 private range. An impacted one that needs surgery or an oral surgeon lands at the top end or beyond. Tack on the consultation and X-ray if they aren’t already in the price.
How much to remove all four wisdom teeth?
Roughly the per-tooth price times four, though clinics often knock a bit off when several come out in one sitting. Impacted teeth and sedation bump the total up – so get it itemised.
Is wisdom tooth removal free on the NHS?
It’s a fixed NHS band charge (which covers every extraction in that course of treatment), and it can be free if you qualify for help with dental costs. The NHS only takes them out when there’s a genuine clinical need, though.
Why are wisdom teeth more expensive to remove?
They’re stuck right at the back, often impacted or growing at daft angles, and more likely to need a surgical approach, a 3D scan or an oral surgeon – all of which cost more than a bog-standard extraction.
Ready to compare? See tooth extraction prices by clinic, read the full tooth extraction cost guide, or browse all UK clinics for upfront pricing near you.
