Dental Filling Cost in Lagos 2026
Dental Filling in Lagos costs ₦5K–₦15K at a general or public hospital and ₦15K–₦40K at a premium specialist hospital — the same procedure, up to 8× apart.
What dental filling costs in Lagos
A range per tier, not a single price — the real figure depends on the hospital and your case.
Public tier means the teaching and general hospitals (LUTH, LASUTH and the state general hospitals). Standard private covers the many mid-range private hospitals across the mainland and Island. Premium specialist means the top-end Island hospitals.
Prices last verified: 2026-05-07. Lagos.Cool desk survey seeded 2026-05-07; tier ranges not re-verified against a 2026 primary source Always confirm the current price with the hospital before planning around it.
What drives the price
Filling costs in Lagos turn on the material and the size of the cavity. An amalgam (silver) filling is the cheapest and still widely used at the public tier; composite (tooth-coloured) fillings cost more and are the default at private and premium practices because patients want them invisible. A large filling across multiple surfaces takes longer and costs more than a small one. Beyond material and size, the tier spread reflects the usual setting and equipment differences — but unlike a root canal, a filling is a short, contained procedure, which keeps even the premium end relatively affordable.
Typical duration: Outpatient — typically 20–45 minutes for a single filling.
What's included vs what's extra
The extras carry no figures here because Lagos hospitals do not publish them — ask for an itemised quote.
- • Local anaesthetic where needed
- • Removing decay and preparing the tooth
- • The filling material and placement
- • Bite adjustment and polish
- • Composite (tooth-coloured) priced above amalgam
- • X-ray where needed to assess the cavity
- • Larger multi-surface fillings priced higher
- • Root canal if the decay has reached the nerve
What the spread means for your budget
The gap between what dental filling costs at a general hospital and at a premium specialist is roughly ₦35K — and that difference buys comfort, privacy and shorter waits rather than a different clinical outcome. For a routine, uncomplicated case the public and standard-private tiers deliver the same medicine.
So the honest question is not 'which is cheapest' but 'which tier do I actually need'. The premium tier earns its price if you value privacy, speed and a named consultant. Whichever you choose, get an itemised quote before the day, confirm what your HMO covers and at which hospitals, and budget for the extras listed above rather than the headline range alone.
Sums like this sit alongside your other major Lagos costs — see Lagos rent prices and market food prices to weigh it against the rest of the budget.