How we chose
We built the candidate list from Google Places listings around Telford, Companies House records and each practice's own website, then checked dentist registration on the GDC register [1] and inspection reports on CQC [2]. Before we score anyone, we check that each business is who it says it is, is trading today and can actually be reached, and that any claimed registration checks out. We then score every eligible business against our scoring system, which looks at the things you care about when hiring: what customers say, the qualifications and registrations that matter for this trade, how the business responded when we contacted it, how long it has traded, insurance and safeguards, how clearly it prices, and how useful its website is. Anything we cannot verify stays neutral rather than counting against a business. The ranking carries its evidence date so you can see how fresh each check is.
How to hire
Start with the register, not the reviews. Every practising dentist in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council — search the name yourself on the GDC register before you book [1]. Then read the practice's latest CQC inspection report, noting its date as well as its rating [2]. If you want NHS care, use the NHS find-a-dentist service to see who near Telford is currently taking patients, and phone to confirm — online lists lag behind reality [3].
At the first appointment, a careful practice examines you, explains what it finds in plain terms, and offers options with their benefits, risks and costs — including doing nothing, where that is reasonable. For anything beyond a check-up, insist on a written treatment plan: what will be done, who will do it (dentist, therapist or hygienist), how many visits, and the full cost on NHS bands or private fees [4]. Never agree to a course of treatment priced only aloud.
Ask the practical questions Telford patients forget: how are emergencies handled out of hours, what is the cancellation and missed-appointment charge, and how do hygienist visits relate to your plan — routine scale-and-polish may be private even when your check-up is NHS [4]. If you are quoted privately, compare like with like: a crown price should state the material, the lab work and what the guarantee covers, not just a headline figure [5].
If treatment goes wrong, raise it with the practice first through its written complaints procedure, giving dates and what you want put right. Keep the treatment plan, receipts and X-ray copies together from the start — they are your record if the dispute travels further [1].
Pricing
NHS charges in England are fixed in three bands: £27.90 for Band 1 (examination, diagnosis, X-rays, scale and polish if needed), £76.60 for Band 2 (fillings, root canals, extractions) and £332.10 for Band 3 (crowns, dentures, bridges) — one charge per course of treatment [4].
Private fees are set by each practice. As of autumn 2026, UK research puts a routine examination typically at £50 to £70, a hygiene visit at £72 to £98, a white filling at £125 to £188 and a crown at £637 to £853 [5]. Telford tends to sit below southern averages, but always go by the written quote for your tooth, not a national table.
What moves a private bill is the material (white composite versus amalgam, ceramic versus metal-backed crown), the tooth (molar root canals cost multiples of front-tooth work) and the number of visits [5]. Get the plan, the materials, the total and the payment stages in writing before treatment starts — including what happens if the treatment needs redoing.
Red flags
Starts treatment without a written plan stating what will be done and what it costs.
Cannot confirm the treating clinician's GDC registration when asked [1].
Pressures you to agree expensive cosmetic work the same day, with no cooling-off time.
Quotes a private price that will not say which material, lab or guarantee it includes.
Has no published complaints procedure and cannot say how emergencies are handled out of hours.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.