Paying for dental treatment in the UK
Treatment from a dentist: check-ups, fillings, root canals, crowns and dentures.
Each row is one way of paying: the NHS, the NHS paying an independent provider, private medical insurance, and paying the provider yourself. Every figure links to the page it was read from, with the date. NHS waits are for England; charges for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are shown where they have been read. Where nothing is published, the table says so.
How each route pays for dental treatment
| Route | What it covers | Wait | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS dentist: England | One charge per course of treatment: where a course mixes bands, the patient pays the highest band once. | Not trackedNo NHS dental waiting time is published in the statistics read | £27.90 / £76.60 / £332.10Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, per course of treatment, from 1 April 2026 |
|
| NHS dentist: Wales | Dental examinations are free in Wales for people aged under 25 or 60 and over. | Not trackedNo NHS dental waiting time is published in the statistics read | Up to £384maximum per course of treatment; charged per care package (listed below) |
|
| NHS dentist: Scotland | NHS dental treatment in Scotland is free for everyone aged under 26, and for people who are pregnant or gave birth in the last 12 months. | Not trackedNo NHS dental waiting time is published in the statistics read | Up to £384patients who pay are charged 80% of the fee for each item, up to this cap per course of treatment |
|
| NHS dentist: Northern Ireland | Not tracked | Not trackedNo NHS dental waiting time is published in the statistics read | Not trackedNorthern Ireland dental charges have not been read | None for this row |
| Private medical insuranceExplained as a mechanism. No insurer or policy is named or compared | Not trackedSet per policy. This site does not read policies | Not trackedNo waiting time for insured patients has been read | Not publishedWhat an insurer pays, and any excess or shortfall, is set per policy | None for this row |
| Self-pay: private dentist | Not tracked | Not trackedNo self-pay waiting time has been read for any provider | Not trackedPrivate dental practice fees have not been read into this dataset | None for this row |
Wales: NHS dental care packages
- Anterior root canal care package (laboratory charges extra): £91.18
- Crown, bridge, inlay, onlay and veneer care package (laboratory charges extra): £140.44
- Denture care package (laboratory charges extra): £86.40
- Extensive restorative care package (5 to 8 teeth): £68.75
- Miscellaneous care package (laboratory charges extra): £25
- New patient assessment: £27.21
- Periodontal care package: £48.53
- Posterior root canal care package (laboratory charges extra): £182.72
- Recall appointment: £25
- Simple restorative care package (up to 4 teeth): £36.03
- Stabilisation care package: £75
- Urgent care package: £37.50
Scotland: examples of NHS item charges
Examples NHS inform prints, not a band and not a total. A course of treatment adds up its items, to the cap in the table.
- Check-up (examination): £0
- Check-up and preventive advice (can include a scale and polish if needed): £17.32
- Complete upper and lower set of dentures: £379.60
- Course of oral hygiene and deep gum cleaning (1 to 4 appointments): £35.52 to £142.08
- Large metal filling (back tooth): £29.92
- One large X-ray of teeth and jaws: £14.92
- Additional fee for re-root canal treatment: £48.60
- Root canal treatment: £104.68 to £169.20
- Simple extraction: £31.80
- Single crown: £164.52 to £204.76
- Small metal filling (back tooth): £14
- Small white filling (front tooth): £23.36
- Surgical or complex extraction: £60.76 to £83.20
- Two small X-rays: £12.16
More on dental treatment
Sources
- NHS (nhs.uk): How much NHS dental treatment costs. Read 26 October 2026.
- Welsh Government (gov.wales): NHS dental charges and exemptions. Read 26 October 2026.
- NHS inform (Scottish Government): Receiving NHS dental treatment in Scotland. Read 26 October 2026.
This page presents published data. It does not recommend a route, a provider or an insurer.