Teeth whitening cost in London
Whitening is the one dental treatment people shop for like a haircut. It is also the one most often sold illegally. Both facts shape what you should expect to pay, and what a low price usually means.
What whitening actually does
Whitening gels work through hydrogen peroxide. Applied to the tooth, it breaks down into free radicals that pass through enamel into dentine and split the large, darkly coloured molecules that have accumulated there over years of coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco. The tooth is not coated or painted. Nothing is removed. The existing structure is chemically lightened.
Most home kits prescribed by a dentist use carbamide peroxide, which breaks down slowly into hydrogen peroxide at roughly a third of its concentration — 10% carbamide peroxide releases about 3.5% hydrogen peroxide. This is why home whitening is worn for hours and in-surgery whitening takes under an hour: the same chemistry at different speeds.
Two consequences matter before you spend anything.
Whitening does not work on restorations. Crowns, veneers, bridges and composite fillings are colour-matched at the time they are made and will not change shade. If you have a crown on a front tooth, whitening the teeth around it will make the crown look darker by comparison, and matching it afterwards means replacing it.
Some discolouration responds poorly. Staining from tetracycline taken in childhood, or from dental fluorosis, lightens slowly and unevenly if at all. A single dark tooth following root canal treatment or trauma is a different problem with a different solution — internal bleaching, done from inside the tooth. A dentist should tell you which of these you have before quoting.
The legal position, and why it affects price
In 2013 the High Court confirmed in GDC v Jamous that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry. It may only be carried out by a GDC-registered dentist, or by a hygienist, therapist or clinical dental technician working to a dentist's prescription.
The Cosmetic Products Regulation sets the concentrations:
| Hydrogen peroxide | Who may supply it |
|---|---|
| 0.1% or less | May be sold directly to the public. This is what shop-bought strips and kits contain. At this concentration the effect on intrinsic colour is minimal. |
| Above 0.1%, up to 6% | Only through a dental practitioner, with the first application carried out by the practitioner or under their direct supervision. A full clinical examination is required first. |
| Above 6% | Not permitted for cosmetic tooth whitening in the UK. |
Whitening is not permitted for anyone under 18 except where it treats disease.
A beauty salon, a mobile "whitening bar", or anyone offering the treatment outside a registered dental setting is breaking the law regardless of what product they use — and gels bought online well above the legal limit are common in these settings. Burns to the gums and lips, and irreversible enamel damage, are the reported consequences. The GDC prosecutes; the courts can impose unlimited fines. None of this protects you retrospectively.
Before booking anywhere, look the clinician up on the free GDC register at olr.gdc-uk.org. It takes under a minute.
What the price covers
Whitening is not a single item. A quoted price may include any of the following, and the difference between a cheap quote and an expensive one is usually which of these are bundled and which are added later:
- Examination and suitability assessment. Required by law before any gel above 0.1% is supplied. May include radiographs.
- Scale and polish beforehand. Extrinsic stain sits on the surface and comes off with cleaning, not bleaching. Some people need nothing more than this.
- Impressions or an intraoral scan, and custom-made trays for home whitening. Trays made to fit hold the gel against the tooth and off the gum.
- Gel. Usually supplied as syringes. The number included varies widely, and additional syringes are a common separate charge.
- In-surgery application, where that is the chosen method.
- Review appointments to check progress and manage sensitivity.
Ask for the total in writing, itemised. A £300 quote covering all of the above is better value than a £200 quote that charges separately for impressions and each syringe of gel. Under consumer protection law the headline price must include everything you are required to pay — a "from" price that omits the trays you cannot avoid is not a lawful price.
| Where | Published range | Typical | Practices |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £300 – £695 | £450 | 157 |
| Westminster | £425 – £745 | £550 | 16 |
| Camden | £300 – £580 | £450 | 11 |
Source: prices published by CQC-registered practices on their own websites, read 25 August 2026. The range is the middle half — the 25th to the 75th percentile across practices — and “from” prices are excluded, because a teaser is not a price. Only boroughs where at least ten practices publish a whitening price are listed separately; everywhere else, use the London figure. Full price data and method.
A note on what these figures are not. They are the prices practices publish, which is a smaller and better-behaved set than the prices practices charge: only 228 of the 759 London practice websites we read publish a whitening price at all. If a practice does not publish, that silence is itself worth asking about.
Choosing between methods
Custom-tray home whitening is the most evidence-supported approach for general use. Worn nightly or for a few hours daily over two to four weeks. Slower, more controllable, and easier to top up later because you keep the trays.
In-surgery whitening achieves a visible change in one appointment. It is convenient rather than superior; results are generally comparable to a completed home course, and most practices still send you home with trays to consolidate.
Light or laser activation is heavily marketed, and the evidence is mixed rather than settled. A 2024 systematic review found LED activation may improve the result without increasing sensitivity, but judged the evidence inconclusive. If a practice charges a premium for the lamp, ask what the premium is buying.
Sensitivity and what to expect
Transient sensitivity to cold affects a majority of people during a course and resolves within a few days of stopping. Gels containing potassium nitrate and fluoride reduce it, as does whitening on alternate nights rather than consecutively. Sensitivity that persists, or gum irritation that does not settle, should be reviewed rather than pushed through.
A realistic result is several shades on a standard shade guide, not a fixed number. Teeth with a yellow undertone lighten more readily than grey ones. Your dentist should record a starting shade so that the change is measurable rather than remembered.
How long it lasts
In-surgery results typically hold one to three years; home whitening six months to two years. The variable is you: coffee, tea, red wine, dark sauces, berries and smoking shorten it, and acidic drinks weaken enamel so that re-staining happens faster.
Because of this, the cost of whitening is better understood over several years than as a one-off. Keep your trays — custom trays last for years, and a top-up means buying fresh gel rather than starting again. If a practice does not let you keep the trays, or will not sell you gel afterwards, factor a full repeat course into what you are paying.
Is it available on the NHS?
Generally not. NHS dentistry covers treatment that is clinically necessary, and cosmetic whitening is not. The exception worth raising with your dentist is discolouration of a single tooth following trauma or root canal treatment, which is a clinical problem rather than a cosmetic one. NHS band charges are set nationally and do not change with your postcode.
Before you book
- Check the clinician on the GDC register.
- Ask whether your existing crowns, veneers or fillings will need replacing afterwards, and what that would cost.
- Ask what is included: consultation, cleaning, trays, how many syringes, reviews.
- Ask for the total in writing before you commit.
- Ask what a top-up costs in a year's time, and whether you keep the trays.
- Whiten before any veneers, bonding or crowns are made — then wait two weeks for the shade to settle and for residual oxygen to clear, which otherwise weakens the bond, before the restorations are matched.
In-office, at-home and combined whitening all produce real colour change. At-home whitening held its result longest.
High-concentration in-office peroxide was linked to colour returning sooner — within six months — than with a completed at-home course. Combining both approaches offered no additional benefit and may increase sensitivity. A second review found shop-bought products vary enormously by format: concentrated paint-on gels changed colour perceptibly, while mouthrinses barely moved the shade.
- Butera A, Maiorani C, Rederiene G, Checchi S, Nardi GM. Evaluation of the effectiveness of different types of professional tooth whitening: a systematic review. Bioengineering 2024;11(12):1178. doi:10.3390/bioengineering11121178 · CC BY 4.0
- Boruga M, Tapalaga G, Luca MM, Bumbu BA. Hydrogen peroxide-free colour correctors for tooth whitening in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review. Dentistry Journal 2025;13(8):346. doi:10.3390/dj13080346 · CC BY 4.0
Prices on this page are ours, read from practices' own fee guides. The findings above are independent peer-reviewed research, cited so you can check them. All sources and licences.
Finding a practice
We do not collect enquiries and we do not pass anyone's details to practices. Browse the practices in your borough, then contact the one you choose directly — every listing carries the practice's own telephone number from the CQC register.
Is teeth whitening available on the NHS?
Generally not. NHS dentistry covers treatment that is clinically necessary, and cosmetic whitening is not. The exception worth raising with your dentist is discolouration of a single tooth following trauma or root canal treatment, which is a clinical problem rather than a cosmetic one.
Can a beauty salon legally whiten my teeth?
No. In 2013 the High Court confirmed in GDC v Jamous that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry. It may only be carried out by a GDC-registered dentist, or by a hygienist, therapist or clinical dental technician working to a dentist's prescription. A salon, a mobile whitening bar, or anyone offering the treatment outside a registered dental setting is breaking the law regardless of the product used.
What strength of whitening gel is legal in the UK?
Products containing 0.1% hydrogen peroxide or less may be sold directly to the public. Above 0.1% and up to 6% may only be supplied through a dental practitioner, with the first application carried out by the practitioner or under their direct supervision, after a full clinical examination. Above 6% is not permitted for cosmetic tooth whitening in the UK. Whitening is not permitted for anyone under 18 except where it treats disease.
Will whitening change the colour of my crowns or fillings?
No. Crowns, veneers, bridges and composite fillings are colour-matched when they are made and will not lighten. Whitening the teeth around a crown on a front tooth will make that crown look darker by comparison, and matching it afterwards means replacing it.
How long does teeth whitening last?
In-surgery results typically hold one to three years, and home whitening six months to two years. Coffee, tea, red wine, dark sauces, berries and smoking shorten it. Keeping your custom trays means a top-up costs fresh gel rather than a full repeat course.
Sources. General Dental Council v Jamous [2013] EWHC 1428 (Admin); Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013, Annex III entry 12; GDC position statement on tooth whitening. NHS charges: DHSC, from 1 April 2026. This is general information, not clinical advice — a GDC-registered dentist must assess you before any whitening is supplied.