NHS Dental Costs UK 2026: Bands, Exemptions & How to Find an NHS Dentist

NHS dental treatment in England is charged in three bands (as of 2024/25, uprated April 2025): Band 1 (£26.80): covers an examination, diagnosis and advice, plus preventive work such as scale and polish. Band 2 (£73.50): covers all Band 1 treatments plus any further treatment needed such as fillings, root canals, and extractions — all for the same fixed price, regardless of how many fillings. Band 3 (£319.10): covers all Band 1 and 2 treatments plus complex procedures such as crowns, dentures, and bridges. Charges in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland differ.

You're entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you are: under 18 (or under 19 in full-time education), pregnant or have had a baby in the past 12 months, receiving certain benefits (Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA/ESA), entitled to or named on an NHS Low Income Scheme (HC2) certificate, a hospital inpatient when treatment is carried out. Pensioners above state pension age are NOT automatically exempt unless they meet the income criteria.

The NHS dentist shortage is real — many practices have closed NHS lists. To find one: use the NHS Find a Dentist tool (nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist), call NHS 111 for emergency dental care, contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB) to report you cannot find an NHS dentist, or check with large dental chains (Bupa, Boots Dental) which sometimes maintain NHS lists. If you cannot find an NHS dentist and are in pain, 111 can refer you to an urgent dental centre.

Band 2 covers unlimited treatment in one course — so if you need three fillings plus an extraction, it's still one Band 2 charge. Make sure your dentist knows about all the dental issues you want addressing in the current course of treatment rather than spreading them across multiple Band 1 visits (which would cost more). Ask for your treatment plan in writing before work begins so you understand exactly what's included in your band charge.