My dentist is great. Invest in a good toothbrush and or good cleaning regime. Yearly checkup and xrays cost me no more than £20. Even at times when I've not been for some time, and needed a number of fillings it's been less than £60.
My wife has had a bad time with a dentist - perforated a tooth doing a root canal. - ended up sueing the dentist as she then had to go to a specialist for a tooth implant. Cost nearly £3k to get sorted. Since pregnancy, her teeth have suffered, and she now needs a crown. To replace with a cosmetic one is about £800 private, and a few hundred for a silver. She's gone cosmetic.
My brother is a dentist, and they have a hell of alot of costs to pay out, constant training, and all are self employed. They also have numerous patient targets.