Trips to the dentist are quick and simple so don't leave it until there's an emergency and your teeth and gums are painful. Visiting a dentist regularly can help the early detection of gum disease, tooth decay and mouth cancer.
NHS dental treatment is free for:
- children and young adults under 18
- pregnant women
- people receiving certain benefits
- some students with a HC2 certificate
NHS dental charges from 1 April 2011
For those who don't qualify for free treatment, there are three standard charges for all NHS dental treatments. This makes it easier to know how much you may need to pay and also helps to ensure that you are being charged for NHS care (rather than private care):
- Band 1 course of treatment (£17.00) - This covers an examination, diagnosis (eg X-rays), advice on how to prevent future problems, a scale and polish if needed, and application of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant. If you require urgent care, even if your urgent treatment needs more than one appointment to complete, you will only need to pay one Band 1 charge.
- Band 2 course of treatment (£47.00) - This covers everything listed in Band 1 above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or if your dentist needs to take out one or more of your teeth.
- Band 3 course of treatment (£204.00) - This covers everything listed in Bands 1 and 2 above, plus crowns, dentures and bridges.
Most dentists provide both NHS and private treatment. The advantage of this is that you can have work that you need to keep your teeth healthy on the NHS, and cosmetic work privately, without having to go to two different dentists. You can have all your dental treatment provided under the NHS that your dentist feels is clinically necessary in order to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy. If your dentist says you need a particular type of treatment, you should not be asked to pay for it privately.
Use our local services search to find a dentist near you.
For more detailed information about price bands and NHS dental services visit the NHS Choices website.
Out-of-hours
If you require out-of-hours dental care you can call your local practice which will provide an answer message with further details or you can call NHS Direct on 0845 4647. Go to the out-of-ours page for more information.