NHS charges in England (from 1 April 2026)
NHS dental treatment in England is grouped into charge bands. You pay one charge per course of treatment, at the level of the highest band you need. If you need further treatment in the same or a lower band within two months, you do not pay again. These charges applied from 1 April 2026 and were still current when checked in September 2026; charges usually change each April.
Band 1
£27.90Examination, diagnosis and advice; X-rays if clinically needed; fluoride applied to the teeth; simple scaling where clinically needed; moulds of the teeth; minor adjustments to dentures or braces.
Band 2
£76.60Everything in Band 1, plus treatment such as fillings, root canal treatment, extractions and other oral surgery, fissure sealants, additions to dentures, bite-raising appliances and more extensive gum treatment.
Band 3
£332.10Everything in Bands 1 and 2, plus lab-made work such as crowns, inlays and onlays, dentures, bridges, orthodontic treatment (braces) where clinically needed, and other custom-made appliances (not sports guards).
Urgent treatment
£27.90Urgent or emergency care such as assessment, X-rays, a temporary dressing, emergency root canal treatment, treatment of a knocked-out tooth or injury, re-fixing crowns and bridges, removing up to 2 teeth, draining an abscess and one urgent filling. Further treatment afterwards may cost extra.
Free for everyone on the NHS in England
- Removing stitches
- Stopping bleeding from the mouth, for example after an extraction
- Repairing dentures (replacement dentures are charged)
Who gets free NHS dental treatment?
In England you get free NHS dental treatment if you are under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education; are pregnant or have had a baby or a stillbirth in the last 12 months; are being treated by a hospital dentist (you may still pay for dentures or bridges); or receive War Pension Scheme or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability. You also qualify if you or your partner receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or Universal Credit with income below a set amount. You may need to show proof, such as an HC2 or maternity exemption certificate. People on a low income may get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme, and you may be able to claim a refund if you paid when you were entitled to free treatment. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (see above).
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Each nation runs its own NHS dental system, with different charges and rules.
Scotland
NHS dental examinations are free for everyone in Scotland. Adults who pay contribute 80% of the cost of their treatment, capped at £384 per course of treatment. Treatment is free for everyone aged under 26, people who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months, and people with certificated exemption because of income or certain benefits. NHS inform gives example patient charges (correct as at 1 November 2025), such as £14.00 for a small metal filling on a back tooth and £31.80 for a simple extraction.
Source: NHS inform: Receiving NHS dental treatment in Scotland
Wales
Wales uses fixed-price care packages rather than bands. Examples from the Welsh Government (page updated 27 July 2026): new patient assessment £27.21, recall check-up £25.00, urgent care £37.50, simple restorative care (up to 4 teeth) £36.03, periodontal (gum) care £48.53, crown, bridge, inlay, onlay and veneer care £140.44. The maximum total charge for a course of treatment is £384; some packages exclude laboratory charges. Examinations are free for under-25s and people aged 60 or over, and treatment is free for under-18s, 18-year-olds in full-time education, people who are pregnant or had a baby in the last 12 months, and people on certain benefits or low incomes.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, Health Service patients who pay are charged 80% of the dentist's fee, up to a maximum of £384 per course of treatment. Denture repairs, stopping bleeding and emergency home visits by your dentist are free for all patients. Treatment is free for under-18s, 18-year-olds in full-time education, people who are pregnant or had a child in the 12 months before treatment starts, and people receiving certain benefits. Individual charges are published each year in the Statement of Dental Remuneration.
Source: HSC Business Services Organisation: Dental charges and fees
Private dental prices
Private dental fees are set by each practice and vary a lot by location and complexity – Which? found prices tend to be higher where property costs and wages are higher, such as London and the South East. The figures below are published 'from' (starting) prices we read on practice price lists in September 2026, not averages: your own quote could be higher. Always ask for a written, itemised estimate before starting treatment. Treatments we could not find credible published prices for (for example dental implants, which the practices checked quote only after consultation) are not listed.
| Treatment | Published starting prices | Details and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Scale and polish | From £45 to from £179 per hygiene appointment | From £45 (hygiene appointment with dentist, Bupa Dental Care Brigg); from £77 (mydentist myoptions, England/Wales price list); from £179 (hygienist, Bupa Dental Care London Bank). Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices, mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices |
| Fillings | From £118 to from £219 for a small filling | Small silver (amalgam) filling from £118 (Bupa Dental Care Brigg) and from £219 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank); one-surface white filling on a back tooth from £180 (mydentist myoptions, England/Wales); large white filling from £382.50 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices, mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list |
| Tooth extraction | From £170 to from £190 for a routine extraction | Extraction from £170 (mydentist myoptions, England/Wales) and from £190 (Bupa Dental Care Brigg); surgical extraction of an impacted or retained tooth from £500 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list, Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices |
| Root canal treatment | From £436 to from £1,750 | From £436 (mydentist myoptions, England/Wales); front tooth from £1,390 and back tooth from £1,750 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices |
| Crowns | From £668 per crown | From £668 (Bupa Dental Care Brigg). Other practices checked quoted crowns only after consultation. Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices |
| Bridges | From £675 to from £1,449 per unit | Bridge from £675 per unit (Bupa Dental Care Brigg); porcelain-bonded bridge from £1,449 per unit (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). A bridge usually involves more than one unit. Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices |
| Clear aligners | From £1,525 to from £4,920 | 'Teeth straightening' from £1,525 (mydentist myoptions, England/Wales); Invisalign from £4,136 (Bupa Dental Care Brigg) and from £4,920 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). The right system and total cost depend on your assessment. mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list, Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices, Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices |
| Teeth whitening | From £570 for a take-home kit | Take-home whitening kit from £570 (Bupa Dental Care London Bank). Whitening is not available on the NHS and must be carried out by a registered dental professional. Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices, NHS: Teeth whitening, General Dental Council: What the law says |
Prices checked September 2026. Practices change their prices, so always ask for a written, itemised estimate.
Sources we used
- NHS: How much NHS dental treatment costs
- Which?: Private vs NHS dental charges
- NHS: Who can get free NHS dental treatment
- NHS inform: Receiving NHS dental treatment in Scotland
- NHS National Services Scotland: Do I pay for dental examinations?
- GOV.WALES: NHS dental charges and exemptions
- HSC Business Services Organisation: Dental charges and fees
- nidirect: Seeing a dentist
- Bupa Dental Care Brigg: Treatment prices
- mydentist: myoptions private dental care price list
- Bupa Dental Care London Bank: Treatment prices
- NHS: Teeth whitening
- General Dental Council: What the law says
Checked September 2026. Guidance changes, so always follow the advice of your own dental team. About our sources.