Dog dental cleaning cost UK (2026): scale and polish and extraction prices
What UK vet practices charge for a dog's scale and polish under anaesthetic and for dental work with extractions, read from their own price lists, and what insurance does and does not pay.
The short answer
A dog's scale and polish under anaesthetic cost £200–£565 at the UK practices whose price lists we read on 21 October 2026. Dental work with extractions cost £450–£1,415 in total. Standard pet insurance does not pay for routine cleaning.
How much does a dog scale and polish cost?
The cheapest list was Carnforth Pet Care at £200 to £300 depending on size; the dearest the RVC's general practice in London, where a dental assessment with scale and polish is £515 under 25 kg and £565 over. Most practices price by weight, so a larger dog pays more.
| Practice | What the list says | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Carnforth Pet CareCarnforth, Lancashire | Dental scale and polish, by size of patientSame line covers cats | £200–£300 |
| Old Registry VetsScunthorpe · DNA Vetcare | Band 1 (scale and polish only): under 20 kg £350, 20–40 kg £375, over 40 kg £400 | £350–£400 |
| Canterbury VetsCanterbury · DNA Vetcare | Band 1 (scale and polish only): under 20 kg £350, 20–40 kg £375, over 40 kg £400 | £350–£400 |
| Queen's Veterinary School Hospital general practiceCambridge · University of Cambridge | Scale and polishThe list does not separate dogs and cats | from £370 |
| University of Liverpool Veterinary PracticeLiverpool · University of Liverpool · Prices correct as of September 2026 | Scale and polish: under 10 kg £400, 10–20 kg £435, 20–40 kg £475, over 40 kg £525 | £400–£525 |
| Royal Veterinary College general practiceLondon (Camden) · Royal Veterinary College · Fees apply from 3 August 2026 | Dog dental assessment, scale and polish: under 25 kg £515, over 25 kg £565 | £515–£565 |
How much do dog tooth extractions cost?
Extractions are priced in bands by how many teeth and how difficult, not per tooth. The bands below are the whole dental bill unless the line says otherwise: at Old Registry Vets and Canterbury Vets, for example, a dog under 20 kg is £350 for a scale and polish only and £450, £625 or £800 for simple, moderate or complex extractions.
| Practice | What the list says | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Old Registry VetsScunthorpe · DNA Vetcare | Bands 2–4 (simple to complex extractions, by weight) | £450–£850 |
| Canterbury VetsCanterbury · DNA Vetcare | Bands 2–4 (simple to complex extractions, by weight) | £450–£850 |
| University of Liverpool Veterinary PracticeLiverpool · University of Liverpool · Prices correct as of September 2026 | Dental grades 1–4, by weight (the list does not say what each grade includes) | £465–£940 |
| Carnforth Pet CareCarnforth, Lancashire | Dental with extractions, including scale and polish: small dog (1–4 simple) £500–£600; medium or large dog (1–2) £600; XL dog, multiple or complex £1,000 | £500–£1,000 |
| Queen's Veterinary School Hospital general practiceCambridge · University of Cambridge | ExtractionsThe list does not separate dogs and cats | from £645 |
| Royal Veterinary College general practiceLondon (Camden) · Royal Veterinary College · Fees apply from 3 August 2026 | Scale and polish (£515–£565) plus extractions: 1–4 teeth £480, 5–9 teeth £690, 10 or more £850Total of the dental fee and the extraction add-on | £995–£1,415 |
Hover over or tab to a bar to see its range and source.
Show as a table
| Treatment | From | To | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale and polish | £200 | £565 | Six practice price lists, checked 21 October 2026 |
| Dental with extractions (total) | £450 | £1,415 | Six practice price lists, checked 21 October 2026 |
Why is dog dental cleaning so expensive?
A dog's scale and polish is done under general anaesthetic, so the price pays for the anaesthetic and monitoring as well as the cleaning. Lists differ in what else they include. Animal Trust says its dental prices include “anaesthetic, fluids and dental X-rays where needed” (Animal Trust prices), while Hill Park Vets charges £63 for a dog's dental X-rays on top of the procedure. When you compare quotes, ask what each includes.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. Pawwala is not a vet. If you are worried about your dog, contact your vet.
Does pet insurance cover dog dental cleaning?
Pawwala is not authorised by the FCA. We explain how cover works and do not give advice or recommend insurers. Pawwala earns a fee when you get a quote through a link marked Ad. Always read the policy wording. How we make money
Standard UK pet insurance treats a routine scale and polish as preventive care and does not pay for it. Dental accidents, such as a tooth broken in a fall, are covered by most policies; dental illness, such as gum disease that needs extractions, only by some. Our guide to whether pet insurance covers dental explains what to look for in the wording, and what pet insurance covers lists the other routine exclusions.
Health plans
Some practice health plans discount dental work. Whether that is worth it depends on the plan; see health plans versus insurance.
Keeping the next dental bill down
Periodontal disease is one of the most common problems vets see in dogs; our dog health hub covers dental care at home. Ask your vet to check your dog's teeth at the yearly booster appointment (prices in our dog vaccination cost guide). For other treatment prices, see the average vet bill, and for the whole yearly budget, the cost of owning a dog. The CMA published its final Order on 22 September 2026. Its first phase, which includes published price lists so owners know the cost of basic services such as consultations and vaccinations upfront, applies to larger vet businesses from 23 December 2026; smaller businesses have longer. (CMA.)
What these prices do not include
- Dental X-rays, where charged separately (Hill Park Vets lists £63 for a dog).
- Pre-anaesthetic blood tests and any medicines to take home.
- A per-tooth extraction price: the lists we read price extractions in bands, grades or totals, not per tooth.
How we worked out these figures
- Read the published dental prices of six UK practices on 21 October 2026: Carnforth Pet Care, Old Registry Vets, Canterbury Vets, Queen's Veterinary School Hospital (Cambridge), the University of Liverpool practice and the RVC.
- Old Registry Vets and Canterbury Vets are both owned by DNA Vetcare and publish identical dental bands, so they are effectively one price list.
- Recorded each price as listed. For the RVC, which adds extractions to the dental fee, the total is the dental fee plus the extraction add-on.
- Report the lowest and highest published price. We never average.
What we did not do:get quotes or ask vets what a typical dental costs. Liverpool lists dental “grades” 1 to 4 without saying what each includes; we show them as listed. Cambridge publishes “from” prices. Liverpool's list is correct as of September 2026 and the RVC's applies from 3 August 2026.
Sources
- Carnforth Pet Care, Carnforth, Lancashire · no effective date shown; checked 21 October 2026
- Old Registry Vets, Scunthorpe · no effective date shown; checked 21 October 2026
- Canterbury Vets, Canterbury · no effective date shown; checked 21 October 2026
- Queen's Veterinary School Hospital general practice, Cambridge · no effective date shown; checked 21 October 2026
- University of Liverpool Veterinary Practice, Liverpool · Prices correct as of September 2026; checked 21 October 2026
- Royal Veterinary College general practice, London (Camden) · Fees apply from 3 August 2026; checked 21 October 2026
- Hill Park Vets (dental X-ray price) · checked 21 October 2026
- Animal Trust prices page (what its dental prices include) · checked 21 October 2026
- CMA: veterinary services market for pets review · checked 21 October 2026
Questions
How much does it cost to have a dog's teeth cleaned in the UK?
A scale and polish under anaesthetic cost £200–£565 on the published price lists we read on 21 October 2026, with larger dogs at the top of each practice's bands.
Why is dog teeth cleaning so expensive?
A dog's scale and polish is done under general anaesthetic, so the price covers the anaesthetic and monitoring as well as the cleaning. Some lists also include dental X-rays or an assessment; others charge for them separately.
Is dog dental cleaning covered by insurance?
Routine cleaning is not covered by standard UK pet insurance. Dental illness, such as gum disease, is covered only by some policies, so check the wording. See our guide: does pet insurance cover dental?
Does pet insurance cover dental extractions?
Only where the policy covers the cause: extractions after an accident are covered by most policies, and extractions for dental disease only by policies that include dental illness. Check your policy wording before treatment.