How much will I pay for NHS dental treatment?

If you normally pay for NHS dental treatment, the cost will depend on what treatment you need.

Some people do not have to pay for NHS dental treatment.

Find out who's entitled to free NHS dental treatment in England

NHS dental charges

There are 3 NHS charge bands:

Band 1: £26.80

Band 1 treatment includes:

examination, assessment and advice
X-rays
diagnosis and treatment planning
scale and polish (if clinically needed)
an orthodontic assessment and report
marginal correction of fillings
moulds of your teeth, for example to see how your teeth bite together
colour photographs
putting sealants or fluoride preparations on the surface of your teeth
taking a sample of cells or tissue from your mouth for examination
adjusting false teeth (dentures) or orthodontic appliances, such as braces
treatment for sensitive teeth or roots

Band 2: £73.50

Band 2 includes all treatment in Band 1, plus:

fillings
root canal treatment
removing teeth (extraction)
sealant to fill small holes or grooves in your teeth
adding to your false teeth (dentures), such as adding a clasp or a tooth, or adjusting them, such as relining and rebasing
removing the tip of the root of a tooth (apicectomy)
a bite-raising appliance to correct your bite (does not include a laboratory-made appliance)
using healthy tissue from the roof of your mouth to cover an exposed root (free gingival grafts)
surgery on the tissue connecting your tongue, lips or cheeks to your jaw bone (frenectomy, frenuloplasty or frenotomy)
treating severe gum disease, cleaning bacteria from the roots of your teeth (root planing), deep scaling and polishing
gum (periodontal) surgery including reshaping or removing gum tissue (for example, gingivoplasty, gingivectomy and operculum removal)
oral surgery, such as removing a cyst, soft tissue surgery to the mouth, gums or lips and surgery for buried root, unerupted tooth or impacted tooth
oral surgery to remove bone from around a tooth (alveolectomy), to remove bone growths around the teeth (exostosed tooth), or bone resection surgery
removing the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth called dental pulp (pulpotomy)
splinting loose teeth, for example after an accident (does not include laboratory-made splints)
transplanting teeth

Band 3: £319.10

Band 3 treatment includes all treatment in Bands 1 and 2, plus:

a fixed replacement for a missing tooth or teeth (bridge)
a type of cap that completely covers your real tooth (crown)
false teeth (dentures)
restoring damaged teeth with inlays, pinlays and onlays
orthodontic treatment and appliances such as braces
other custom-made appliances, not including sports guards
veneers and palatal veneers, which are new surfaces for the front or back of a tooth

You can ask your dentist to explain the charge for your treatment.

Urgent treatment: £26.80

Your dentist will decide if you need urgent treatment for any pain or to stop your dental health getting worse.

Urgent treatment includes:

examination, assessment and advice
X-rays
teeth dressing, which helps gums heal
palliative dental treatment for people getting end of life care
removing the soft tissue at the centre of the tooth called dental pulp (pulpectomy or vital pulpotomy)
fixing a tooth that has been knocked out and any necessary treatment
repairing and refixing inlays and crowns
refixing a bridge and adding temporary bridges
removing up to 2 teeth
aftercare, including treatment for infections
adjustment and alteration of false teeth (dentures) or orthodontic appliances, such as braces
urgent treatment for severe conditions that come on suddenly, such as ulcers and herpetic lesions
treatment for tooth sensitivity (sensitive root or dentine)
draining an abscess
other treatment needed after an injury
1 urgent permanent filling (routine and non-urgent fillings are a band 2 treatment)

Once your urgent 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 charge will apply for the non-urgent treatment.

Treatments not available on the NHS

Cosmetic treatments to change how your teeth look are not available on the NHS.

This includes teeth whitening, as well as braces or veneers that aren't medically needed.

Costs of further treatment

If, within 2 calendar months of completing a course of treatment, you need more treatment from the same or a lower charge band, such as another filling, you do not have to pay anything extra.

If the additional treatment needed is in a higher band, you'll have to pay for the new NHS course of treatment.

After 2 months have passed since completing a course of treatment, you'll have to pay the NHS charge band for any further NHS dental treatment.

Certain treatments are guaranteed for 12 months from the date they were completed.

These are:

fillings
root fillings
inlays
porcelain veneers
crowns

Treatments provided under this guarantee must be similar or related to the original treatment.

Treatments available free of charge

You do not need to pay a dental charge if:

you're having stitches removed
your dentist has to stop bleeding from your mouth, for example, after a tooth extraction
your dentist only has to write out a prescription – if you pay for prescriptions, you'll have to pay the usual prescription charge of £9.90
your false teeth (dentures) need repair - if they cannot be repaired and you need new ones, you'll have to pay for these

The NHS Business Services Authority has more information on the cost of replacement dental appliances, such as dentures, bridges and braces.

Cost of referral to another dentist

If you're referred to another dentist to complete your treatment, the amount you pay is dependent on the type of referral and whether the NHS treatment is carried out as 1 course of treatment.

Your dentist will inform you how much you have to pay.

If you're referred to a private dentist (and you accept this option), you'll:

pay the appropriate NHS banding charge to the dentist who referred you
also pay a fee for the dental work carried out by the private dentist