Price GuideMyDentalFly Official

Gum Recession Treatment Cost UK (2026)

By Adam Smith, Head of Patient Research

Updated 28 March 2026 · Dental tourism researcher · Clinic vetting specialist · 40+ clinics assessed on-site

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Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ertan Etemoglu, Lead Dentist & Co-Founder

Tower Dental Clinic, Istanbul · 26 years in practice · 8,000+ patients/year · Turkish & American Dental Association member · Featured on Reuters

28 March 2026
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Gum Recession Treatment Cost UK (2026)
Gum grafting costs £400–£1,200 per tooth in the UK. Every option, what it costs, and where to save 60%.

Gum grafting costs £400–£1,200 per tooth in the UK. Every option, what it costs, and where to save 60%.

A single gum graft costs £400–£1,200 per tooth in the UK. Most people need more than one tooth treated. If your gums have receded across four to six teeth — not uncommon — you're looking at £2,400–£7,200 before the periodontist has even mentioned follow-up visits.

That's the reality of gum recession treatment in Britain right now. And unlike a filling or a crown, this isn't something you can put off indefinitely. Exposed roots mean sensitivity, bone loss, and eventually tooth loss.

Here's what every treatment actually costs, what drives those prices up, and where the savings are.

What Does Gum Recession Treatment Actually Cost?

The price depends entirely on how far your gums have pulled back and which technique your periodontist recommends.

For mild recession caught early, a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) at £200–£400 may be enough to halt progression. No surgery required. This is the best-case scenario.

Moderate recession usually needs a gum graft. Connective tissue grafts — where tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth and stitched over the exposed root — run £400–£1,200 per tooth. The Pinhole Surgical Technique, a newer and less invasive option, costs £600–£1,500 per area but avoids the palate donor site entirely.

Regenerative treatments like Emdogain, which stimulates the body to regrow lost gum and bone tissue, add £400–£800 per tooth on top of the surgical fee.

If you're unsure what stage your recession has reached, MyDentalFly's dental assessment lets you map your symptoms on an interactive dental chart and get a dental package with specific treatment recommendations — before you spend a penny on consultations.

Treatment Options by Severity

TreatmentBest ForUK Cost (per tooth/area)Recovery
Deep Cleaning (scaling & root planing)Mild recession, early gum disease£200–£4001–2 weeks
Gum ContouringUneven gum line, cosmetic reshaping£300–£600 per area1–2 weeks
Connective Tissue GraftModerate recession, exposed roots£400–£1,200 per tooth2–4 weeks
AlloDerm Graft (donor tissue)Patients who want to avoid palate surgery£500–£1,000 per tooth2–3 weeks
Pinhole Surgical TechniqueMultiple teeth, minimally invasive£600–£1,500 per area1–2 weeks
Emdogain (regenerative)Bone and tissue loss alongside recession£400–£800 per tooth3–4 weeks

The connective tissue graft remains the gold standard. It has the longest track record and the most predictable outcomes. But it's also the most uncomfortable — you're healing two surgical sites (gum and palate) simultaneously.

UK vs Turkey vs Hungary

This is where the numbers get interesting.

TreatmentUKTurkeyHungarySaving vs UK
Gum Contouring£300–£600£100–£250£150–£30050–67%
Gum Graft (connective tissue)£400–£1,200£150–£400£200–£50058–67%
Deep Cleaning£200–£400£30–£60£50–£10075–85%
Emdogain (regenerative)£400–£800£150–£300N/A63%

A patient needing gum grafts on four teeth pays £1,600–£4,800 in the UK. The same work in Turkey: £600–£1,600. Even after flights and a hotel, the savings are substantial.

"I got quotes ranging from £3500 to £9000 for the same work — the cheapest wasn't always the worst."

That quote's from a dental tourism patient, and it captures the problem perfectly. Prices vary wildly, and you can't judge quality from cost alone. This is exactly why being able to compare clinic prices side by side — with real GBP figures from vetted clinics — matters more than picking the first Google result.

What Pushes the Price Up

Number of teeth. The single biggest factor. One tooth is manageable. Six teeth turns a minor procedure into a major expense.

Technique used. The Pinhole Surgical Technique costs more upfront but treats multiple teeth in one session with less downtime. Connective tissue grafts are cheaper per tooth but require a separate donor site.

Specialist vs general dentist. A periodontist (gum specialist) typically charges 30–50% more than a general dentist for the same procedure. For gum grafts specifically, the specialist premium is worth it — success rates are significantly higher.

Location within the UK. London periodontists charge 20–40% more than those in the Midlands or North. A gum graft that costs £500 in Manchester might be £800 in Harley Street.

Additional treatments needed. If recession has caused bone loss, you may need bone grafting or Emdogain on top of the gum graft itself. This can double the total cost.

Can You Get Gum Treatment Abroad?

Yes, but with caveats specific to gum surgery.

Turkey and Hungary both have experienced periodontists performing gum grafts at 50–67% less than UK prices. Istanbul in particular has clinics with dedicated periodontal departments — not just cosmetic dentistry mills focused on veneers and implants. For a deeper look at what's available, see our guide to dental implants in Turkey, which covers the clinic vetting process in detail.

The savings become especially compelling for multi-tooth cases. If you need grafts on six teeth, you might save £3,000–£5,000 — enough to cover flights, a week's accommodation, and still come out well ahead. And Istanbul offers more than a waiting room: the Bosphorus, historic bazaars, and traditional hammams make it easy to turn recovery time into a short holiday.

The honest caveat: gum grafts require careful follow-up. The tissue needs monitoring at one week and again at three to four weeks post-surgery. If you fly home after a week, your follow-up care falls to your UK dentist — who didn't perform the surgery and may approach healing checks differently. Make sure your abroad clinic provides post-visit updates through a proper system (MyDentalFly's patient portal lets clinics share clinical notes and track your recovery remotely), and confirm your UK dentist is willing to handle follow-up before you book.

"Factor in flights, hotel, and potential return trips when comparing UK vs Turkey prices."

Smart advice. For a single tooth, the maths often don't work for going abroad. For three teeth or more, they usually do — especially if you combine it with other dental work you've been putting off.

Worried about which clinics are actually trustworthy? MyDentalFly only lists clinics that pass a vetting process and provide written treatment guarantees. You can compare up to three clinics side by side with real prices in your currency — unlike directories where anyone with a credit card gets a listing. Check what's available for your case with a dental assessment.

Next Steps

The candidacy checker tells you in 60 seconds if you're suitable for implants. The dental assessment builds your bespoke dental package — mapping your teeth and matching you with the right clinic. The savings calculator shows verified clinic prices vs home costs.

We've verified every clinic on our platform and removed eight that didn't meet our standards — unlike directories that list anyone who pays. Your dental tourism consultant coordinates everything once you're ready.

Real results from verified clinics

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References & Sources

All clinical claims, pricing data, and statistics in this article are based on peer-reviewed research, official regulatory sources, and publicly verifiable data. We invite you to verify anything before making a treatment decision.

  1. 1.BBC News, "Turkey teeth: The dental tourism risks patients don't see." February 2023.
  2. 2.BBC, "Turkey Teeth: Bargain Smiles or Big Mistake?" — documentary investigating dental tourism risks, 2022.
  3. 3.Euronews, "Medical tourism: Dental expert explains why Turkey teeth can be a costly mistake." October 2024.
  4. 4.General Dental Council (UK), "Going abroad for dental treatment" — patient guidance.
  5. 5.British Dental Association (BDA), "Dental tourism: Patients need to know the risks."
  6. 6.T.C. Saglik Bakanligi (Turkish Ministry of Health), Health Tourism Authorisation Regulations.
  7. 7.Kontakiotis, E.G. et al. (2015), "A prospective study of the incidence of asymptomatic pulp necrosis following crown preparation," Int. Endod. J., 48(6), 512-517.
  8. 8.Pjetursson, B.E. et al. (2012), "A systematic review of the survival and complication rates of implant-supported fixed dental prostheses after at least 5 years," Clin. Oral Implants Res., 23(S6), 22-38.
  9. 9.Sailer, I. et al. (2015), "All-ceramic or metal-ceramic tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses: a systematic review," Dent. Mater., 31(6), 603-624.
  10. 10.Türkiye Today, "1.5 million health tourists visited Türkiye in 2024, generating $3 billion in revenue." 2025.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and does not replace a clinical examination. Treatment outcomes vary between patients. Always consult a qualified dental professional.

About MyDentalFly

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About the author

Adam Smith

Head of Patient Research, MyDentalFly

Adam leads patient research at MyDentalFly, personally vetting clinics across Turkey, Hungary, and Poland. He has reviewed over 200 clinic proposals, analysed patient outcomes, and helped coordinate treatment plans for patients across the UK, USA, and Europe.

EE

Clinically reviewed by

Dr. Ertan Etemoglu

Lead Dentist & Co-Founder, Tower Dental Clinic

26 years in practice · 8,000+ patients/year · Turkish & American Dental Association member · Featured on Reuters

Content last reviewed: 10 July 2026