NHS PATIENTS

There are three bands of charges for all NHS dental treatments.

The current dental charges are:

Band 1 dental treatment: £20.60

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover:

a clinical examination, assessment and report
an orthodontic assessment and report
advice, diagnosing and planning of your treatment
X-rays
moulds of your teeth – for example, to see how your teeth bite together
taking coloured photographs
advice on preventing future problems, such as diet advice and cleaning instructions
applying sealants or fluoride preparations to the surfaces of your teeth
a scale and polish
marginal correction of fillings
taking a sample of cells or tissue from your mouth to examine (pathological examination)
adjusting false teeth (dentures) or orthodontic appliances, such as braces
treating sensitive cementum (the tissue that covers the root of a tooth)

Urgent treatment when you need to see a dentist immediately also costs £19.70.

Band 2 dental treatment: £56.30

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover everything listed in band 1 above, plus:

non-surgical treatment of periodontitis (a severe form of gum disease) – such as root planing (cleaning bacteria from the roots of your teeth) or deep scaling and a polish
surgical treatment of periodontitis – such as removing some gum tissue (gingivectomy)
free gingival grafts – when healthy tissue from the roof of your mouth is attached to your teeth where the root is exposed
fillings
sealant restorations – when sealant is used to fill a small hole and seal any grooves in your teeth
root canal treatment (endodontics)
pulpotomy – removing dental pulp (the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth)
apicectomy – removing the tip of the root of a tooth
transplanting teeth
removing teeth (extraction)
oral surgery – such as removing a cyst
soft tissue surgery to the mouth or lips
frenectomy, frenoplasty or frenotomy – surgery to the folds of tissue that connect your tongue, lips and cheeks to your jaw bone
relining and rebasing dentures
adding to your dentures – such as adding a clasp or a tooth
splinting loose teeth – for example, after an accident or due to periodontitis; this doesn’t include laboratory-made splints

bite-raising appliances (similar to a mouth guard) – for example, to correct your jaw alignment; this doesn’t include laboratory-made appliances

Band 3 dental treatment: £244.30

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover everything listed in bands 1 and 2 above, plus:

Treatments such as veneers and braces are only available on the NHS if there’s a clinical need for them (not for cosmetic reasons).