Dental Crowns, Inlays and Onlays in Edinburgh
A crown, inlay or onlay rebuilds a tooth that needs more protection than an ordinary filling can give. All three are made to fit your tooth and then cemented in place. The difference is how much of the tooth they cover. At City Dental Care on Earl Grey Street we'll examine the tooth, explain whether it needs a crown, an inlay, an onlay or just a filling, and tell you what it costs before anything starts. We see both NHS and private patients.
Transparent pricing
Private crowns, inlays and onlays from £595 per toothNHS inlays and crowns are also provided here
You'll get an upfront estimate before any private treatment starts. 0% finance available on private treatment from £250.
Crown, inlay or onlay: what's the difference?
Think of them as three sizes of the same repair. Each one is made to measure outside the mouth, usually in a dental laboratory, and then cemented to the tooth. They're used when a filling on its own wouldn't be strong enough. If enough sound tooth is left, an ordinary filling is usually preferred.
Inlay: fills a cavity within the tooth. It's like a filling, but made to measure.
Onlay: usually larger than an inlay. It extends over the biting surface to cover and protect weakened parts of the tooth, and less natural tooth is removed than for a crown.
Crown: a cap that covers the whole visible part of the tooth and restores its shape, strength and appearance. The tooth is reshaped so the crown can fit over it, so a crown usually means removing more tooth than an inlay or onlay.
What crowns are made of
Privately, we offer crowns in:
- Zirconia (a white ceramic, colour-matched to your natural teeth, with no metal base)
- Emax, or lithium disilicate (a white glass-ceramic, colour-matched to your natural teeth, with no metal base)
- Porcelain bonded to metal, or metal-ceramic (a metal base with a tooth-coloured porcelain layer on top), for patients who aren't having the crown on the NHS
- Gold (a gold alloy, gold-coloured rather than white, often chosen for back teeth that don't show)
Zirconia, Emax and metal-ceramic crowns are from £595 per tooth, and gold crowns are from £924 per tooth. Your dentist will recommend the material that suits the tooth and your bite, and the price for your tooth is confirmed in your upfront estimate. On the NHS we provide metal and metal-ceramic crowns; all-ceramic crowns are private.
When do you need a crown, inlay or onlay?
Your dentist may suggest a crown if a tooth is badly broken, cracked or weakened by decay or a large filling, is worn down, has had root canal treatment, or is discoloured or an uneven shape. An inlay or onlay may be suggested when a tooth is damaged or an old filling no longer does its job, but enough of the tooth is left that it doesn't need a full crown.
A back tooth that has had root canal treatment is more brittle, so a crown is often advised to protect it from cracking. Our root canal page covers that treatment.
A crown isn't always the right answer. It may not be suitable where there is a lot of active decay, active gum disease or poor oral hygiene, or where someone clenches or grinds their teeth. Active disease is usually treated first, so tell us if you know you grind your teeth.
Replacing an old crown
Crowns can last many years, but not for ever. An old crown needs checking if it has come loose or come off, if decay has started at its edge or underneath it, or if the tooth under it needs further treatment, such as root canal treatment. If it has come off, keep it and bring it with you. At an examination your dentist will check the crown and the tooth, take an X-ray if needed, and tell you whether it can be re-cemented or needs replacing, and what that costs, before anything is done. Crown replacements are among the NHS treatments we provide for registered patients, and they're available privately too. If we fitted the crown under the NHS in the last 12 months, see the NHS repair rule below.
Crowns, veneers and missing teeth
A porcelain veneer is a very thin shell that covers only the front surface of a tooth, and usually means removing less tooth than a crown. It can be an option for a front tooth where the bite isn't heavy.
If a tooth is missing altogether, a crown on its own can't replace it. The options are a dental implant (our single-implant price includes the crown on top), a bridge, which is held in place by crowns on the teeth either side of the gap, or a denture. Our guide compares the three.
What happens when you have a crown fitted?
Crowns, inlays and onlays usually take two appointments, with the restoration made in between. Your dentist will tell you how long the gap will be.
Examination: we examine the tooth, take any X-rays needed, explain the options and tell you what it costs before treatment starts.
First appointment: the tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic, any decay or old filling is removed, and the tooth is shaped. An impression or scan is taken so the restoration can be made to fit, and a temporary crown or filling protects the tooth in the meantime.
Second appointment: the temporary comes off. The new restoration is tried in, checked for fit, bite and appearance, and cemented in place. Local anaesthetic can be used again if needed.
Does getting a crown hurt?
The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic before it's shaped, so the treatment itself should be comfortable. Afterwards some people notice sensitivity for a few days, which usually settles. Your bite may feel a little different at first, and in most cases that settles too. If the sensitivity doesn't settle, or the tooth feels high when you bite, call us so we can check it.
There is one risk to know about. Preparing a tooth can irritate the nerve inside it, and over time the nerve can become inflamed and die. The tooth would then need root canal treatment or removal. Your dentist will talk through the risks for your tooth before you decide.
How much is a dental crown in Edinburgh?
Private crowns, inlays and onlays are from £595 per tooth, as shown on our price list. What your tooth costs depends on what it needs, so the most accurate price is given once a dentist has seen you, and you'll get an upfront estimate before any private treatment starts.
The first step is an examination. For private patients it's £85.00 as a new patient and £55.00 as an existing patient, and both include X-rays. NHS examinations are free for everyone in Scotland. A refundable £10 holding fee is taken if you book an NHS examination online.
0% finance is available on private treatment from £250 up to £5,000, over 6, 9, 10, 11 or 12 months. Practice Plan members get a 15% discount on private treatment (exclusions apply).
Can I have a crown on the NHS?
Crowns and inlays are among the NHS treatments we provide for patients registered with us as NHS patients. NHS crowns and inlays are normally only provided for patients aged 17 or over. NHS Scotland sets the charges: you pay 80% of the cost, capped at £384 for a single course of treatment, and under-26s, pregnant women and new mothers, and people on certain benefits pay nothing. On the fee scale in force from 1 November 2025, if you pay NHS charges, one crown or one inlay is £164.52, with anything else in the same course, such as a post to support the crown, charged on top up to the cap. We're accepting new NHS patients, and there's no waiting list.
On the NHS we provide metal crowns and porcelain bonded to metal (metal-ceramic) crowns; all-ceramic crowns, such as zirconia and Emax, are private. Treatment that is mainly cosmetic is usually private. We'll always tell you before any treatment whether it's NHS or private, and what it costs. In Scotland you're entitled to mix NHS and private care. Some larger NHS treatment plans need approval from NHS Scotland before treatment starts. We'll tell you if yours does, and what it costs, before anything begins.
If an NHS inlay or crown we provided has to be repaired or replaced within 12 months, you won't be charged for it while you remain registered with us. There are exceptions, such as temporary work, work done against our advice, damage from an accident, or private treatment or non-temporary treatment at another practice on that tooth in those 12 months.
How long do crowns last, and how do you look after them?
A temporary crown isn't as strong as the final one and can break easily, so be gentle with it, keep your fit appointment, and call us if it comes off or breaks. When you floss around it, slide the floss out sideways rather than pulling it back up between the teeth.
Once the final restoration is fitted, brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes. Cut down how often you have sugary food and drink, don't bite on very hard things such as ice, and keep up your check-ups. Decay can still start underneath a crown, inlay or onlay, so cleaning matters. Crowns can last many years if they're well looked after, although nothing in dentistry is certain to last for life.
If a crown comes off, keep it, keep the tooth clean and avoid hard or sticky food on that side. A crown can often be re-cemented. If it isn't hurting it rarely needs to be seen the same night, but book within a few days, because an exposed tooth can decay and crack quickly. If it is painful, call us for an emergency appointment.
Why have it done at City Dental Care?
NHS or private: crowns and inlays are provided on the NHS for patients registered with the practice, and privately; we're accepting new NHS patients. We'll tell you before any treatment whether it's NHS or private, and what it costs.
Evening appointments: open until 8pm Monday to Thursday and until 5pm on Friday, at 9 Earl Grey Street, a short walk from Haymarket Station.
See the work: our smile gallery has more restorative cases by our dentists, alongside the onlay above.
Book an assessment
Book online, or call 0131 228 2442. If a tooth has broken or a crown has come off and it's painful, tell reception, because same-day emergency appointments are available.
