Cogrank, a UK dental marketing consultancy, read the websites of 520 dental practices drawn at random from the Care Quality Commission register, between 22 October and 8 November 2026. Of the 425 general practices with a working website:
- 46% don’t price all five basic items the GDC lists for a practice price list: a consultation, a single-surface filling, an extraction, X-rays and treatment by the hygienist. The GDC says patients “should not have to ask” for prices.
- 20% show no private price at all, only NHS charges or nothing.
- 40% of practices showing private prices don’t name the Dental Complaints Service, where private patients can go if a complaint isn’t resolved.
- Two in three practices that give the GDC’s address or phone give an old one, such as 37 Wimpole Street. The GDC is now at Fifty Paddington, London W2.
- About seven in ten don’t show when the website was last updated, which the GDC asks for.
- Only 1.2% show the full set of information the GDC lists for practice websites.
The findings come as the Competition and Markets Authority prepares its final report on private dental services, due by 4 March 2027.
Bogdan Matanie, founder of Cogrank, said: “Patients choosing a private dentist should be able to see what a consultation costs and where to complain, without having to ask. Most practices show some of that, and almost none show all of it. The gaps are small, mainly a basic price list, current GDC details and a last-updated date, and most practices could close them in an afternoon.”
