Cliftonville Dental on The Avenue is the first practice we would look at if you want a thorough first visit: its £135 new patient consultation includes X-rays, photographs where needed and time to talk through options. Northampton Dental Hub has the lowest published exam fee (£25) and opens seven days, while Duston Dental Practice and The Private Dental Centre suit people who want a plan or an early or late slot.
Going private is usually less about fancier treatment and more about time. Longer appointments, quicker access to a hygienist, and a dentist who explains what they see instead of rushing to the next patient. But practices package that very differently, and the headline exam fee rarely tells you what you are actually getting.
So we compared what you get for your money at four practices. If you are weighing up a private dentist in Northampton, the details below show what sits behind each price: X-rays, scans, hygiene, sedation, payment options and opening hours.
Northampton private practices compared
| Practice | First appointment (as published) | Hygienist | Sedation | Paying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliftonville Dental, 65 The Avenue | £135 new patient consultation, including intra-oral X-rays | £79 to £119 | Inhalation and IV, from £450 per session | Pay as you go or finance over 12 to 60 months |
| Northampton Dental Hub, 8 St Peters Square | £25 exam with oral and tongue cancer screening; X-rays from £9 each | Scale and polish £65 for new patients | £400 per hour | 0% finance |
| The Private Dental Centre, 44 Derngate | £110 full clinical assessment; routine exam £64 | Periodontal maintenance visit £164 | £450 per visit | 0% finance on plans over £500; membership on request |
| Duston Dental Practice, Main Road and St Crispin | £116 combined exam with scale and polish | £110 per hygiene visit | Offered | Monthly plans from £18.95 |
How we compared
We used each practice's own fee page and treatment pages, checked in October 2026. We compared what the first appointment includes, hygiene prices, sedation, payment options and opening hours, because those are the things that change your experience most as a private patient. We did not attend as patients. Prices are "from" figures that the practices say can change after an assessment, so always ask for a written estimate.
1. Cliftonville Dental: a long first appointment and clear fees
Cliftonville Dental is a private practice at 65 The Avenue, Cliftonville, and it leads this list for people who want to understand their mouth properly before agreeing to any treatment.
Its new patients page describes the first visit as a very thorough examination, with any photographs and X-rays needed, followed by a detailed conversation about options with one of the dentists. The fee list prices this at £135, including intra-oral X-rays, with a recall consultation at £76 after that. If you need wider imaging, an OPG X-ray is £79 and a CT scan is from £139.
The general dentistry page puts the private difference plainly: "As a private practice, we're able to give you longer, unhurried appointments." The practice also uses an intra-oral camera so you can watch on a screen what the dentist is looking at, which makes a treatment plan much easier to follow.
Hygiene is a strong point. Hygienist visits are £79 to £119, and there is a periodontal programme from £119 for people with gum problems. The hygiene team uses the Florida Probe, a computerised system for measuring gum health and building a treatment map.
For anxious patients there is inhalation sedation and IV sedation, from £450 per session. The practice says it has daily emergency appointments available, with emergency consultations listed at £76 to £160. You can pay as you go or spread larger costs with interest-bearing finance over 12 to 60 months (terms apply).
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm, plus one Saturday a month. Phone 01604 604545.
Suits: adults who want a thorough first assessment, nervous patients, and anyone with ongoing gum concerns.
2. Northampton Dental Hub: low entry price, seven days
Northampton Dental Hub sits at 8 St Peters Square in the town centre and opens seven days a week, backed by a 24/7 phone line. Its fees page lists a £25 examination for new or regular patients, with oral and tongue cancer screening included. X-rays are priced separately (small digital X-rays at £9 each, a full panoramic X-ray at £35). The practice says its fees do not change for weekend or late appointments.
A new patient scale and polish is £65, and sedation with a GMC-registered doctor is £400 per hour.
Suits: people who need a weekend appointment or want a low-cost first check before deciding where to stay.
3. The Private Dental Centre, 44 Derngate: a detailed assessment
The Private Dental Centre, run by Northants Dental Ltd, is at 44 Derngate. It offers a full clinical assessment at £110 and a routine exam at £64. Its consultation page says the assessment includes any relevant X-rays and clinical photographs, a discussion of options and a written quote, and usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. It also has a CBCT scanner and offers a free virtual consultation.
Opening hours run from 8am on weekdays, with a later finish of 7pm on Thursdays and an earlier close of 4pm on Fridays. There is a membership option (ask at reception) and 0% finance for treatment plans over £500.
Suits: people planning implant or orthodontic work who want a long assessment first.
4. Duston Dental Practice: built around membership
Duston Dental Practice has been running since 1966, with clinics on Main Road in Duston and at St Crispin Local Centre. It opens Monday to Friday, 7.45am to 6pm, which suits early starters.
Pay as you go, a first combined exam with a scale and polish is £116 and a hygiene appointment is £110. Its website puts membership front and centre: the Duston Dental Plan is £18.95 a month for two exams with scale and polish plus X-rays, and the Plus plan is £30.50 a month with two extra hygiene visits. Its emergency care is available at evenings and weekends for plan members.
Suits: people who like a fixed monthly cost and live west of the town centre.
What does private care add beyond the NHS bands?
NHS dentistry in England is priced in bands. The NHS lists Band 1 at £27.90, Band 2 at £76.60 and Band 3 at £332.10, with urgent treatment at £27.90. Each band covers a set course of treatment, so the price is predictable. The challenge for many people is finding a practice with NHS places at all.
Private fees are set by each practice, which is why the table above varies so much. What you are usually paying extra for:
- Time. Longer appointments, often with more discussion of options.
- Access. Quicker hygienist and emergency appointments, sometimes at weekends.
- Choice of materials and techniques. For example same-day crowns or tooth-coloured fillings where clinically suitable.
- Extras on request. Sedation, scans and cosmetic work that may not be available on the NHS.
None of this changes the basic standard of safety. All dentists in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council, NHS or private, and dental practices in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission. You can check any dentist's name on the GDC register.
Questions to ask before you book privately
- What exactly does the first appointment include, and are X-rays extra?
- How long is the appointment?
- Will I get a written treatment plan with prices before any work starts?
- How do you handle emergencies for existing patients?
- Is there a membership plan, and is it cheaper than paying as I go for my needs?
- If finance is offered, is it interest-free or interest-bearing, and who is the lender?
Frequently asked questions
How much is a private check-up in Northampton?
From the fee pages we checked, a first private examination ranges from £25 (X-rays extra) at Northampton Dental Hub to £135 including X-rays at Cliftonville Dental. Routine recall check-ups are typically £64 to £76.
Is a private dentist worth it?
It depends on what you value. If you can get NHS care and only need routine check-ups, NHS bands are hard to beat on price. Private care usually buys longer appointments, faster access and more choice, which matters more if you are anxious or need ongoing treatment.
Can I see a private dentist without registering?
Yes. Private practices such as Cliftonville Dental take new patients directly, so you simply call or book a first appointment.
Sources
- NHS: How much will I pay for NHS dental treatment?
- General Dental Council: Search the register
- Care Quality Commission
- FCA Financial Services Register
General information only; check details directly with each business. Fees were taken from each practice's website in October 2026 and can change.