Dental insurance NHS charges
Completely free dental care on the NHS is available only to pregnant women, new mothers, children up to 18 and many living on benefits. Everyone else pays. Some dental insurance policies cover the cost of NHS treatment, while others allow the policyholder to go private.
Currently, there are three charging bands for NHS treatment in England:
Band 1 (£17) Covers a basic examination, advice, X-rays and a scale and polish if needed. Can also cover urgent treatment.
Band 2 (£47) All treatments in Band 1 and additional work such as fillings, extractions, relining of dentures and root canal treatment.
Band 3 (204) All treatments in Bands 1 and 2, plus more procedures such as crowns, dentures or bridges.
Cost comparison
We compared the cost of NHS vs private treatment. Examples based on separate visits, but you could have an examination and filling for one payment of £47 on the NHS. The private charges are a guideline only and are not definitive figures. They were provided by the British Dental Health Foundation from callers to their helpline. Private costs are set by the individual dentist so they can vary.
| Cost comparison of NHS and Private treatments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Treatment | NHS | Private |
| Basic examination | £17 | £25-£45 |
| Small amalgam filling | £47 | £28-£50 |
| Large amalgam filling | £47 | £50-£95 |
| Root canal treatment | £47 | £200-£650 |
| Non precious metal crown | £204 | £240-£450 |
| Fixed bridge | £204 | £250-£500 |
- For a personalised solution, call our expert advisers on the Which? Money Helpline
- You might be interested in our guide to private medical insurance
- Interested in income protection? Read our guide
