Dental Filling Cost UK 2026: NHS Charges by Nation and Private Practice Prices
How an NHS filling is charged in England, Wales and Scotland, what England's practice price lists show for composite and amalgam fillings, and what changes the price of a filling.
Quick answer
UK private dental prices depend on the treatment, materials, lab work and follow-up. Comparing the total package cost (consultation, scans, treatment, materials, aftercare) is more useful than the headline starting price for a single tooth or appliance.
- Get a written treatment plan with itemised costs before paying.
- Check whether scans, consultations and follow-up visits are included.
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Quick answer
- Private filling prices from England's practice price lists are on the dental prices table. Composite (white) and amalgam (silver) are separate lines, each with the number of practices behind it and when the lists were read.
- An NHS filling is charged differently in each nation. England: Band 2, one charge per course of treatment. Wales: a restorative care package by number of teeth. Scotland: an item charge per filling, capped per course. The figures, with sources and read dates, are on the dental page. Northern Ireland is not tracked.
How an NHS filling is charged
| Nation | How fillings are charged | Source |
|---|---|---|
| England | Band 2. You pay the highest band in a course of treatment once, so several fillings in one course carry one charge. | nhs.uk, read 26 October 2026 |
| Wales | Simple restorative care package (up to 4 teeth) or extensive restorative care package (5 to 8 teeth). | GOV.WALES, read 26 October 2026 |
| Scotland | No bands. Patients who pay are charged a share of each item's fee, capped per course. NHS inform lists small and large metal fillings on back teeth and a small white filling on a front tooth as items. Everyone under 26 is exempt. | NHS inform, read 26 October 2026 |
| Northern Ireland | Not tracked | — |
Private fillings
A private price is usually per filling, where an England NHS course charge covers every filling in the course. The practice dataset's composite and amalgam lines each take every practice price labelled with that material. Their medians and England regional rows are on the dental page. Prices by cavity size or number of surfaces are not tracked.
What changes the price
- Material: composite or amalgam.
- Size and surfaces: a larger cavity, or one spanning several surfaces, takes more time.
- Which tooth: front teeth are visible, which can change the material used.
- The practice: each sets its own fees.
How each route pays for dental treatment →
England practice prices by treatment with practice counts, and NHS dental charges in each UK nation.
Compare dental pricesRelated guides
Important context
Provider and clinic profiles may combine public datasets, provider-published information and TreatCompare analysis. Registration status, services, prices and contact details can change. Verify directly with the provider before making treatment, commercial or legal decisions.
- Source type
- Named public and provider sources
- Primary source
- nhs.uk: How much NHS dental treatment costs
- Reporting period
- 2026-10-26
- Last updated
- 2026-10-26
- Figure type
- Mixed sources
- Use
- Research and comparison only
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a private dental filling cost in the UK?
TreatCompare's England dataset of dental practice price lists records a composite (white) filling price and an amalgam (silver) filling price separately. Both are on the dental page with the number of practices behind each and the date the lists were read. Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish practice fees are not tracked.
How much does a filling cost on the NHS?
In England a filling falls in NHS Band 2, one charge for the course of treatment however many fillings it includes. In Wales fillings are in a restorative care package priced by the number of teeth treated. In Scotland each filling has its own item charge, capped per course. The current figures, with sources and read dates, are on the TreatCompare dental page. Northern Ireland's charges are not tracked.
Are white fillings available on the NHS?
NHS inform lists a small white filling on a front tooth as an NHS item in Scotland, and also says that procedures that are cosmetic in nature, giving white fillings as an example, are usually only available privately. Ask the dentist which applies to your tooth before treatment starts.
What changes the price of a private filling?
The material, the size of the cavity and the number of tooth surfaces involved, which tooth it is, and the practice. Ask for the price per filling and whether an examination or X-ray is charged on top.
Sources & further reading
- nhs.uk: How much NHS dental treatment costs — England's NHS dental charge bands; Band 2 can include fillings. One charge per course at the highest band. Read 26 October 2026.
- GOV.WALES: NHS dental charges and exemptions — Wales's simple and extensive restorative care packages. Read 26 October 2026.
- NHS inform: Receiving NHS dental treatment in Scotland — Scotland's per-item charging rule and example filling charges. Read 26 October 2026.
- General Dental Council register — Check that a dentist is registered.
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