Teeth Cleaning Cost in London, Ontario: A 2026 Guide

If you have searched for what a teeth cleaning costs in London, Ontario, you have probably noticed something odd: almost nobody publishes a number. Clinic pages describe the appointment in detail, then stop short of the price. The cost guides that fill the search results are written for Toronto or for Canada as a whole, with ranges wide enough to be useless.

There is a published fee guide, and it is public. Here is what dental hygiene actually costs in Ontario in 2026, how the billing works, and what the Canadian Dental Care Plan pays for.

Hygiene is billed in units, not appointments

The most useful thing to understand about a cleaning bill is that it is not one flat price. Scaling, the part that removes hardened tartar from your teeth, is billed in units of roughly 15 minutes. Polishing, fluoride and the assessment itself are billed separately.

This is why two people can sit in the same chair for the same reason and get different bills. Someone with healthy gums who comes every six months may need two units. Someone who has not had a cleaning in three years, or who is managing gum disease, may need four. It is not upselling; a longer appointment simply takes longer.

The 2026 Ontario dental hygiene fee guide

The Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association publishes a suggested fee guide each year. These are the figures in force from January 1, 2026:

• Scaling, one unit (about 15 minutes) — $75.09

• Scaling, two units (about 30 minutes) — $143.98

• Polishing and stain removal, one unit — $40.46

• Fluoride varnish — $34.45

• Recall assessment, existing client — $38.28

• Professional whitening, one unit — $64.19

• Denture cleaning, one unit — $64.03

One important caveat: this guide is a suggestion, not a rule. Dental hygiene fees in Ontario are not regulated, and the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario is explicit that it cannot set fees for service. Individual practices set their own. What the guide gives you is a reference point, so you can tell whether a quote is in the normal range.

So what does a routine cleaning actually come to?

For most adults with reasonably healthy gums, a recall visit means an assessment, two units of scaling and a polish. At guide rates that is roughly $220 before any coverage is applied. Add fluoride and it is closer to $255.

If it has been years since your last cleaning, expect more scaling time on the first visit and less on the ones after it. A good practice will tell you that up front rather than at the end.

Why a hygienist's fee is usually lower

Independent dental hygienists bill under their own fee codes, which are separate from the ones dental offices use. The hygienists' guide is generally lower than the dentists' guide for comparable services, and independent practices across Ontario that publish their fees tend to track the ODHA figures closely.

The trade-off is scope. A registered dental hygienist can scale, root plane, polish, apply fluoride, screen for oral cancer, care for dentures and whiten teeth. A hygienist cannot communicate a diagnosis; only a dentist can do that. If something turns up during your appointment that needs a dentist, you will be referred. Preventive care and restorative care are different jobs, and you do not need the second one to get the first.

What the Canadian Dental Care Plan covers

The CDCP is now open to every age group. To qualify you need no access to private dental insurance, a filed tax return for the previous year, an adjusted family net income under $90,000, and Canadian tax residency. Coverage has to be renewed each year. We have written a fuller walkthrough of how to use your CDCP benefits for mobile dental hygiene if you are applying for the first time.

For adults, the plan covers the following in each 12-month period:

• Up to four units of scaling, combined with root planing

• Half a unit of polishing

• One fluoride treatment

• One recall examination

Scaling beyond four units needs preauthorization, usually on the basis of periodontal disease or a related medical condition. How much of the bill the plan pays depends on income: under $70,000 of adjusted family net income it covers the full established amount, from $70,000 to $79,999 it covers 60 percent, and from $80,000 to $89,999 it covers 40 percent. The rest is your co-payment.

Worth knowing: dental hygienists are participating CDCP providers and can bill the plan directly. You do not need to go through a dental office to use your benefits for a cleaning.

A note on the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program

OSDCP is a separate provincial program for Ontario residents aged 65 and over who have no other dental coverage and fall under the income thresholds. It is worth applying for if you qualify, but it is delivered through public health units and community health centres rather than private practices. Locally that means the Middlesex-London Health Unit clinics. An independent dental hygienist cannot bill OSDCP. For most of the seniors we see, the CDCP is the plan that applies.

Does a home visit cost extra?

At Toth Dental Hygiene, no. The fee for an appointment in your living room is the fee for the appointment. There is no travel surcharge, no mileage, no call-out charge for at-home dental care in London or the surrounding communities. If you would rather come to us, our in-clinic appointments at Salt Holistic Spa are priced the same way.

If you are weighing the two, our guide to teeth cleaning in London without leaving home walks through what actually happens during a mobile appointment.

How to get an exact number before you book

The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario advises patients to ask for a fee estimate and a breakdown before treatment. That is good advice anywhere. Four questions will get you a real number:

• How many units of scaling do you expect I will need?

• What is included in the quoted fee, and what is billed separately?

• Do you bill the CDCP directly, or do I pay and submit?

• Will you give me the estimate in writing before you start?

Any practice that hesitates on the fourth one is telling you something.

Ask us for an estimate

We will give you a written breakdown before your first appointment, not after it. Call 519-697-5051 or book online, and tell us roughly how long it has been since your last cleaning so the estimate is realistic.

Fee figures in this article are drawn from the Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association suggested fee guide effective January 1, 2026, and from the Government of Canada's Canadian Dental Care Plan benefit guide. Suggested fees are not binding and individual practices set their own; confirm current amounts before booking.