General dentistry in Auckland
These are the treatments most people need most often. Below is what each one involves, how long it usually takes, and the factors that move the price between clinics — which matters in Auckland, where practices set their own fees and publish them inconsistently.
Updated 10 October 2026
What does general dentistry cover?
General dentistry is the routine care that keeps teeth working: examinations, scale and polish, x-rays, fillings, extractions and root canal treatment. It is what a dentist does at a standard appointment, as distinct from cosmetic work that changes how teeth look or orthodontics that moves them.
What does each treatment involve?
Below are 6 treatments. Each entry sets out what happens in the appointment, the variables that move what an Auckland practice quotes, and, where the NZDA survey covers it, what Auckland practices charge.
Examination and check-up
The dentist checks each tooth, your gums, your bite and the soft tissue of your mouth, usually with x-rays if you are new to the practice or it has been a few years. It is the appointment everything else follows from.
What changes the price: Whether x-rays are taken and how many; whether the practice charges the examination and clean separately or as one fee; whether you are a new patient, which often means a longer first appointment.
Auckland median: examination (check-up) $85; examination and bitewing x-rays $120; panoramic x-ray (opg) $110
Scale and polish (clean)
Removal of plaque and hardened tartar above and just below the gumline, then polishing. Often booked with the examination. A hygienist rather than the dentist may do it.
What changes the price: How much build-up there is, which depends largely on how long since the last clean; whether it is done by a dentist or a hygienist; whether deeper cleaning below the gumline is needed.
Auckland median: examination, bitewing x-rays, scale and polish $250; scale and polish, per 15 minutes $95
Fillings
The decayed part of the tooth is removed and the cavity filled, usually with tooth-coloured composite resin. Amalgam is now uncommon in New Zealand private practice.
What changes the price: The number of surfaces involved — a single-surface filling is a much smaller job than one wrapping three surfaces of a molar; the material; whether the cavity turns out to be deeper than the x-ray suggested.
Auckland median: composite filling, 1 surface $280; composite filling, 2 surfaces $340; composite filling, 3 surfaces $390; composite filling, 4 or more surfaces $450
Extractions
Removal of a tooth. A straightforward extraction is done under local anaesthetic in a normal appointment. A surgical extraction, where the tooth is broken or below the gum, takes longer and may be referred to an oral surgeon.
What changes the price: Simple versus surgical; whether the tooth is a wisdom tooth and how it is positioned; whether sedation is used; whether you are referred to a specialist, which changes the fee structure entirely.
Auckland median: extraction, simple $300; extraction, each additional tooth $220; extraction, surgical $500
Root canal treatment
The infected pulp inside the tooth is removed, the canal cleaned and sealed, and the tooth usually restored afterwards with a crown. It commonly takes more than one appointment.
What changes the price: Which tooth — a front tooth has one canal, a molar can have three or four, and the fee rises accordingly; whether a general dentist or an endodontist does it; whether a crown afterwards is included or quoted separately.
Auckland median: root canal, 1 canal (no crown) $1,100; root canal, 2 canals (no crown) $1,300; root canal, 3 canals (no crown) $1,600; root canal, 4 or more canals (no crown) $1,700
Crowns
A cap fitted over a tooth that is too damaged to hold a filling, often after root canal treatment. The tooth is prepared and a crown made to fit, so it usually needs two visits.
What changes the price: The material — porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or gold; whether the practice has a milling machine on site or uses an external laboratory; whether a temporary crown is needed in between.
Auckland median: crown, ceramic $1,700; crown, porcelain fused to metal $1,700; crown, gold $2,000
How much does general dentistry cost in Auckland?
These are the Auckland figures from the NZ Dental Association’s 2025 fee survey: the median fee, the range charged by the middle half of practices, and the national median for comparison.
| Treatment | Auckland median | Middle half of practices | NZ median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination (check-up)109 Auckland practices | $85 | $65 to $100 | $90 |
| Examination and bitewing x-rays114 Auckland practices | $120 | $91 to $155 | $126 |
| Panoramic x-ray (OPG)106 Auckland practices | $110 | $96 to $125 | $110 |
| Examination, bitewing x-rays, scale and polish91 Auckland practices | $250 | $195 to $305 | $210 |
| Scale and polish, per 15 minutes85 Auckland practices | $95 | $70 to $125 | $92 |
| Composite filling, 1 surface101 Auckland practices | $280 | $248 to $305 | $250 |
| Composite filling, 2 surfaces103 Auckland practices | $340 | $298 to $395 | $320 |
| Composite filling, 3 surfaces101 Auckland practices | $390 | $350 to $450 | $385 |
| Composite filling, 4 or more surfaces98 Auckland practices | $450 | $396 to $519 | $450 |
| Extraction, simple102 Auckland practices | $300 | $254 to $350 | $300 |
| Extraction, each additional tooth80 Auckland practices | $220 | $175 to $285 | $200 |
| Extraction, surgical95 Auckland practices | $500 | $400 to $600 | $500 |
| Root canal, 1 canal (no crown)98 Auckland practices | $1,100 | $900 to $1,200 | $1,000 |
| Root canal, 2 canals (no crown)98 Auckland practices | $1,300 | $1,100 to $1,400 | $1,254 |
| Root canal, 3 canals (no crown)96 Auckland practices | $1,600 | $1,458 to $1,800 | $1,600 |
| Root canal, 4 or more canals (no crown)86 Auckland practices | $1,700 | $1,459 to $1,893 | $1,700 |
| Crown, ceramic94 Auckland practices | $1,700 | $1,563 to $1,830 | $1,700 |
| Crown, porcelain fused to metal57 Auckland practices | $1,700 | $1,500 to $1,900 | $1,700 |
| Crown, gold77 Auckland practices | $2,000 | $1,800 to $2,450 | $2,000 |
Source: NZDA 2025 Fees and Dental Workforce Survey, fee tables (all respondents), Auckland regional table, GST inclusive. Read 10 October 2026. These are what practices reported charging, not a quote: ask the practice for a written estimate.
Before treatment, ask for a written quote and ask what is not included: for root canal treatment, whether the crown afterwards is in the figure; for aligners, whether retainers and refinements are. All Auckland dental costs.
Common questions
How often should I see a dentist?
The interval depends on your own risk of decay and gum disease, which is why a dentist sets it after examining you rather than applying a standard rule. Many people are seen every six to twelve months; some need to be seen more often. Only a registered practitioner who has examined you can advise on your interval.
Is a filling or a crown better?
It is not a preference, it is a question of how much sound tooth is left. A filling needs enough remaining structure to hold it; once too much of the tooth is gone or it has had root canal treatment, a crown protects what remains. The dentist decides this from the x-ray and the tooth itself.
Why do Auckland clinics quote such different prices for the same treatment?
Because dental fees in New Zealand are not regulated. Each practice sets its own, and the figure depends on the time booked, the materials, whether a specialist or a general dentist does the work, and the practice’s own costs. This is why asking for a written quote before treatment is worth doing.
Do I need a referral to see a dentist?
No. You can book directly with any dental practice in Auckland. A referral is only needed when your dentist sends you on to a specialist such as an endodontist, periodontist or oral surgeon, and they will arrange that.
How much is a check-up and clean in Auckland?
In the NZDA 2025 fee survey, Auckland practices charged a median of $250 for an examination, bitewing x-rays and a scale and polish together, and the middle half charged $195 to $305. An examination on its own had a median of $85. Ask whether a practice charges these as one fee or several, because they split it differently.