Pricing
What does dental treatment cost at Catford Dental?
A consultation is R400 including any X-rays needed, and is charged once a year rather than every visit. Fillings start at R600, cleaning at R800 and crowns at R7 500.
Most South African practices publish nothing at all, which leaves patients guessing until they are in the chair. These are the actual ranges, with the reason each one varies — so you can judge whether a quote you receive, here or anywhere else, is reasonable.
They are ranges rather than fixed prices because the tooth decides most of the cost before anyone chooses a material. What you will get after an examination is a written, itemised quote.
Treatment costs
| Treatment | From |
|---|---|
| Consultation and examinationIncludes any radiographs needed as part of the examination.Charged once a year, not at every visit. | R400 |
| Fissure sealantsDepends on how many teeth need sealing.R350 a tooth. Where more than four are needed, it is done as a full-mouth package at R1 400. | R350 – R1 400 |
| FillingDepends on how large the restoration is — how much of the tooth is being rebuilt. | R600 – R1 200 |
| Vital pulp therapyDepends on the technique used and the bioactive material the tooth needs. | R950 – R1 500 |
| Root canal treatmentDepends on how many canals the tooth has — a front tooth usually has one, a molar commonly three or four.The tooth still needs restoring afterwards, which is quoted separately. | R4 200 – R6 500 |
| ExtractionDepends on whether the tooth comes out straightforwardly, needs a surgical approach, or is a wisdom tooth. | R600 – R1 200 |
| Professional cleaningDepends on whether you have a standard scale and polish, or our Guided Biofilm Therapy — the ultra-comfortable guided clean at R1 400 that discloses where plaque is and removes it with gentle warm-water air-polishing powders instead of scraping. | R800 – R1 400 |
| Night guardDepends on whether it is a conventional guard, a functional appliance or a splint.Included in the aesthetic package where several teeth are being veneered. | R1 800 – R4 600 |
| Teeth whiteningDepends on whether you have a professional take-home kit or in-practice whitening, and how many in-practice sessions you have. | R1 450 – R4 650 |
| Digital smile designAn optional planning step, not part of standard treatment. Most cases do not need it; it suits larger cosmetic cases. | R4 200 |
| Composite veneer (per tooth)Depends on the extent of the work needed on that tooth.Porcelain veneers are made differently and quoted separately — ask at your examination. | R1 850 – R3 500 |
| Fibre-reinforced restorationDepends on how extensive the restoration is, and the length of fibre the tooth needs to be splinted and supported.Repairs a damaged tooth. Replacing a missing tooth is a fibre bridge, listed below. | R2 300 – R2 700 |
| Fibre bridgeDepends on which tooth is being replaced.Replaces a missing tooth by bonding to the teeth either side, with far less preparation than a traditional bridge requires. | R3 800 – R4 200 |
| DentureDepends on whether it is made in acrylic or with a cast chrome framework, which is thinner, stronger and generally more comfortable. | R2 500 – R7 500 |
| CrownDepends on the material used, which is chosen for the demands on that particular tooth.Includes the crown itself, including the laboratory fee. A core build-up or root canal treatment, where the tooth needs one first, is quoted separately. | R7 500 – R9 500 |
| Clear alignersDepends on how many aligners the treatment needs, which follows from how far the teeth have to move. | R25 000 – R42 000 |
Ranges are a guide, not a quote. The written quote you receive after an examination is the figure that applies to your tooth. Treatments not listed here are quoted on the same basis — ask and you will be told.
Packages
The figures above are for single treatments. Where a plan involves several procedures, the practice quotes a package rather than adding the individual fees together, and it works out lower.
- Multiple restorations. Where a treatment plan involves a number of the same procedure, it is quoted as a package rather than item by item.
- Families. Where several members of a household come in for professional cleaning on the same day, that is quoted as a package.
- Aesthetic packages. Where several teeth are being veneered, the package includes a professional clean, whitening and a night guard alongside the veneers themselves.
The night guard in the aesthetic package is not a giveaway — it is there because grinding is one of the main ways veneers fail, and protecting them overnight is part of making the work last. Whitening is included because the shade of the veneers is matched to your natural teeth, so it makes sense to settle that shade first.
Package rates depend on what the plan actually involves, so they are quoted case by case rather than published here. Phone either practice before you book and it can be built into the quote.
Why a fibre-reinforced restoration can be better than a crown
This is where the conservative approach shows up on the account. A crown costs R7 500 to R9 500. A fibre-reinforced restoration costs R2 300 to R2 700 — roughly a third.
The reason a badly broken-down tooth traditionally needs a crown is mechanical, not cosmetic. A very large filling can flex under chewing load and split the tooth. A crown solves that by encircling the tooth — but to fit one, the tooth has to be reduced on every side first, and that reduction is not treating disease. It is making room for the restoration.
A fibre-reinforced restoration takes a different route to the same mechanical problem. A bonded fibre ribbon is laid within the restoration to splint the remaining walls and distribute force across them, so the tooth is supported without being cut down. The cost varies with how extensive the restoration is and the length of fibre the tooth needs.
It is not right for every tooth. Where too little sound structure remains, a crown is genuinely the better answer, and you should be told that plainly. But where a fibre restoration will hold, it costs less, removes less, and leaves more options open if the tooth needs work again in ten years.
Why acting early costs less
The same tooth can end up on two very different pathways depending on how early it is treated, and the gap is wider than any single line above suggests.
Caught while the nerve can still be saved, a tooth may need vital pulp therapy at R950 to R1 500, then a restoration — a filling from R600, or a fibre-reinforced restoration up to R2 700 where the tooth needs more support.
Left until the nerve dies, the same tooth needs root canal treatment at R4 200 to R6 500, depending on how many canals it has — and because a root-treated tooth is more brittle, it more often needs a crown afterwards at R7 500 to R9 500.
Earlier still is prevention. Fissure sealants cost R350 a tooth, or R1 400for a full mouth, and seal the grooves in back teeth where decay usually starts. On a child’s newly erupted molars that is the cheapest dentistry available — and the only entry on this page whose purpose is that none of the others are ever needed.
That is the argument for treating a deep cavity or a cracked tooth early, and part of why the consultation is charged once a year rather than at every visit. It is not an argument for insisting on the conservative option regardless — where a pulp is already too far gone, attempting to save it costs money and delays what the tooth actually needs.
Paying over time
Where treatment costs more than you can settle at once, the practice is contracted with MediWallet, which finances medical and dental treatment. Their terms include three months interest-free, repayment over up to 18 months, and rewards at Clicks on what you spend.
To be clear about who is lending: the credit comes from MediWallet, not from the practice. Approval, the interest applied beyond the interest-free period, and the terms of the agreement are all theirs. MediWallet is a registered credit provider (NCRCP19967) and an authorised financial services provider (FSP44281). Read their terms before signing.
MediWallet is not a medical scheme, and it is not a substitute for one. It finances what you owe; it does not pay a benefit toward it. If you have medical aid, that is claimed separately and first.
Ask at either practice and the treatment plan can be quoted with this in mind. It is often worth knowing before deciding between two ways of treating the same tooth.
Paying over time is a way of managing cost, not a reason to have treatment you do not need. If the more conservative option is right for your tooth, it is right whether or not you finance it.
Medical aid
Bring your medical aid details. The practice is a contracted provider to medical schemes and bills within scheme rates, so the co-payment that arises when a practice charges more than the scheme pays does not normally apply here.
Claims are submitted to your scheme directly, and you are emailed a full itemised invoice showing what was done and what each item cost. If something does fall outside your scheme’s rate — a benefit exhausted, or an item your particular plan excludes — you are told before treatment rather than on the account afterwards.
Common questions
Why are these ranges and not fixed prices?
Because the tooth determines most of the cost. The same treatment can be straightforward on one tooth and involved on another, and a fixed price would either overcharge the simple case or undercharge the difficult one. The range tells you the realistic span; the examination tells you where in it you fall.
Will I be told the cost before treatment starts?
Yes. You receive a written, itemised quote after the examination and before any treatment begins. If anything changes once treatment is under way, you are told before the extra work is done, not on the account afterwards.
Does medical aid cover these amounts?
Often partly. The practice is a contracted provider and bills within scheme rates, so the co-payment that arises when a practice charges above the scheme tariff does not normally apply here. How much your scheme covers still depends on your plan and what you have already used in the benefit year. If anything falls outside your rate, you are told before treatment.
Are these prices the same at both practices?
Yes. The same fees apply at the Phoenix and Umhlanga Ridge practices.
Is there a reduced rate if I need several treatments?
Yes. Where a plan involves a number of the same procedure, such as several restorations, it is quoted as a package rather than item by item. Families having professional cleaning on the same day are quoted the same way, and aesthetic packages covering several veneers include a clean, whitening and a night guard. Phone the practice before booking so it can be built into the quote.
Can I pay for treatment over time?
Yes. The practice is contracted with MediWallet, which finances dental treatment. MediWallet offers three months interest-free and terms of up to 18 months, and you earn Clicks rewards on what you spend. Credit is provided by MediWallet, not the practice, and is subject to their approval and their terms.
What if I cannot afford the treatment I need?
Say so. There is often more than one way to treat a problem, and the options differ in cost. Knowing your constraints lets us plan around them — including staging treatment over time, or stabilising a tooth now and restoring it properly later. Payment over time through MediWallet is also available.