SWINDON is the cheapest location in the UK for patients seeking a private dentist consultation.

Research carried out by the clinical comparison website What-Clinic.com surveyed 11,000 private dentists across the UK and found those working in Swindon charge £21 on average for a standard check-up.

The most expensive, dentists in Cambridge, charge over 223 per cent more at £68 per consultation. Swindon is closely trailed by nearby Reading at £22 and Stoke-on-Trent at £26. The average cost to the nation is £39, which equates to a 10 per cent increase from 2012.

Searches on WhatClinic.com for private dentists in Swindon are up by 49 per cent year on year, despite a £2 increase on an average check-up cost of £19 in 2012.

The increasing demand for dentists in Swindon is boosted by a nine per cent decrease in searches for Reading-based dentists, though searches in Bristol are up by 18 per cent.

Patrick Holmes, 44, a dentist at Seven Fields Dental & Health Centre in Woodcutters Mews, said: “In Swindon there is a very competitive market, whereas 15 to 20 years ago there were fewer dental practices than there are now.

“It is good in Swindon. It is like all things, if every car was a Ford then it’s going to be decent.

“I have worked as a dentist in Rochester and Belfast and the quality in Swindon is higher.

“Also, being on the M4 corridor, people can get elsewhere if they want.

“Costs have to be lower here to keep patients here.

“It’s a good thing. We get by and if we are able to get by and we are not charging as much as others it shows we are providing better value for money.”

Mr Holmes, who charges £49 for a standard check-up, also said the low prices in Swindon are a good thing for patients’ health.

He said people have visited less often since the credit crunch, but low prices mean patients can visit when absolutely necessary to nip problems in the bud, as and when they happen.

SWINDON PRICES

Dentist consultation   £21
White filling                £64
Hygienist session       £52
Amalgam Filling          £61
Dental X-Ray              £10
Teeth Whitening        £440
Dental Crowns           £375
Teeth Cleaning           £40
Extractions                 £68
Incisor Root Canal     £234
Surgical Extractions   £109