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NHS Dental Treatment Fees

The current schedule of banding and fees for NHS dental treatment

NHS dental treatment bands

NHS dental bands (valid from 1st April 2024). There are three bands of charges for all NHS dental treatments.

Band 1 – £26.80

This charge includes an examination, diagnosis, maintenance and preventative care, e.g. dental hygiene advice. If necessary, this will include x-rays, simple scaling, and planning further treatment.

Band 2 – £73.50

This charge covers all necessary treatment covered by the Band 1 charge, plus extra simple treatments, such as fillings, extractions, root canal treatment and surgical procedures.

Band 3 – £319.10

This charge includes all necessary treatment covered by the Band 1 & 2 charge, plus more complex procedures that includes work by a laboratory, such as bridgework, crowns and dentures.

Emergency treatment – £26.80

Most urgent treatments can be done in one appointment. Once your urgent course of treatment is complete, you may be advised to make another appointment for a separate course of non-urgent treatment. In this case, the relevant NHS banding charge will apply.

Find out more by visiting the NHS website.

0% finance available

We understand that the cost of dental fees can add up and, to help with this, we offer 0% finance to help you spread the cost of your treatment, subject to status.

USE OUR FINANCE CALCULATOR

Call us on 01482 565 488 to learn more about our patient finance options.

FAQs

Can I get help with paying NHS dental costs?

You’ll receive free services from your NHS dentist if/when the treatment starts you’re:

  • Aged under 18
  • Aged 18 and in full-time education
  • Pregnant or had a baby in the 12 months before treatment starts

Or if, when treatment starts or when the charge is made, you’re:

  • Getting, or your partner gets, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension credit exemption certificate
  • Named on a valid HC2 certificate

If you’re named on a valid HC3 certificate, you may also be eligible for partial help with dental costs.

Remember, your dentist will ask for evidence that you’re entitled to free NHS dental treatment.

Please use form HC1 to claim for full (HC2) or partial (HC3) help with NHS dental costs. HC1 forms are available from your Jobcentre Plus office, or by calling 0845 8501166 or 08701 555455.

What treatments will be available from NHS dentists?

All clinically necessary treatments and dentures will still be available on the NHS, i.e. treatment that is necessary to secure and maintain your oral health.

If you want, or if your dentist suggests, you can choose to have purely cosmetic treatment done privately. This includes things like tooth whitening, large white fillings or white crowns on back teeth. You should ask your dentist how much this will cost on top of charges for NHS treatment.

As of now, you can agree with your dentist to have some of your treatment provided privately.

How often will I need to go to the dentist?

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has introduced guidelines on how often patients need to go to the dentist. Your dentist will recommend a date for your next visit based on your individual oral health needs. This means:

  • People with higher treatment needs may need to attend more often than before
  • People with good oral health may only need to attend once every 12 to 24 months

I need urgent treatment. How much will this cost on the NHS?

Urgent treatment is charged at £21.60 on the NHS. This charge includes:

  • Examination
  • X-rays
  • Dressings
  • Pulpectomy and pulptomy
  • Re-implant of a lost tooth
  • Arrest of a haemorrhage
  • Re-cementing crowns / bridges
  • Making a temporary bridge
  • Easing a denture
  • Treating cementum sensitivity and acute periodontal conditions
  • Supplying treatment needed as a result of trauma
  • Carrying out up to two extractions and one filling

Please note: the definition of urgent in this case is purely to get a patient out of pain. It’s not a way to obtain routine treatment. Having urgent treatment is subject to the dentist’s opinion and is only used where your oral health is likely to deteriorate significantly, or if you’re in severe pain because of an oral condition. The dentist may act if they believe it’s necessary to prevent deterioration or to address that severe pain.

My dentures need repairing. How much will this cost on the NHS?

Repairing dentures is free. But if you lose or accidentally damage your denture beyond repair, it will cost £65.70 per single upper or lower denture. If you need to replace both upper and lower dentures, it will cost £131.40.

These costs apply even if you’re normally exempt from patient charges.

How much do dental prescriptions cost on the NHS?

If you pay for prescriptions, you’ll have to pay the usual prescription charge of £9.65 when you collect your medicine(s).

Did you know?

With our Dencare plans you could save up to 20% off the cost of your dental treatment from as little as just £17.75 a month.

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