How much does a dentist cost?

NHS and private dental charges explained

Published on 08/03/21 by The Simplyhealth Team
Updated on 15/09/22

A patient signs the paperwork after having a dental appointment

Visiting the dentist is a trip into the unknown. You never know what treatment you’re going to need. Even if everything seems fine, you might be recommended to have some preventative treatment.

Rest assured, your dentist won’t perform any costly work on your teeth without speaking to you first. They’ll run through what you need to have done, why they’re recommending it, and the cost. This will be your opportunity to ask any questions and make sure you understand your options and associated costs.

Dentistry is one of the few areas of the NHS where you pay towards your care. NHS dentistry charges are split into three bands. Band one covers basic care, like your check-up. Band two for moderate treatment, such as a filling. And band three includes complex work such as crowns or dentures.

NHS charges in England

Band One - £23.80

Covers examination, diagnosis and advice, x-rays (if required), scale and polish and treatment planning.

Band Two - £65.20

Covers all treatment in Band One plus additional treatment such as fillings, root canal treatment, and teeth extraction.

Band three - £282.80

Covers all treatment included in Band One & Two plus more complex procedures such as crowns, dentures, and bridges.

More information on dental charges in England

NHS charges in Wales

Band One - £14.70

Covers examination, diagnosis and advice, x-rays (if required), scale and polish and treatment planning.

Band Two - £47.00

Covers all treatment in Band One plus additional treatment such as fillings, root canal treatment, and teeth extraction.

Band three - £203.00

Covers all treatment included in Band One & Two plus more complex procedures such as crowns, dentures, and bridges.

More information on dental charges in Wales

NHS dental charges in Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Scotland dental examinations are free. If you need any further work, you'll pay 80% of the cost of your NHS dental treatment, up to a maximum of £384 per course of treatment.

More information on dental charges in Scotland

In Northern Ireland, you’ll pay for 80% of the cost of your NHS dental treatment including examinations, and like in Scotland, the cost is capped at £384. 

More information on dental charges in Northern Ireland

Private dental charges

The cost of private dental treatment varies from dentist to dentist. Most dental practices are very transparent with their private treatment pricing so you should be able to look up the private treatment costs of your local dentist online. They will also be able to provide you with their prices in the practice.

On average, it's likely your private dental treatment will cost more than going through the NHS.

However, with private treatment, you will receive additional time with your dentist which they will spend looking at your mouth for early signs of oral health problems. They'll have more time to spend with you to discuss and improve your oral health routine as well.

Paying for your dental appointment in 2022

The Simplyhealth 1-2-3 Health Plan helps with dental costs. Whether it's NHS or private charges, you can claim back, up to your limits, on dental check-ups, crowns, bridges and fillings, as well as hygienist fees and dentures. That's on top of support for other health & wellbeing treatments.

If you're looking for purely dental cover, our Simply Dental Plan provides coverage across the spectrum. You have separate pots to claim from for routine appointments, scale and polish, and even emergency visits.

Claim back your dental costs today

Our 1-2-3 Health Plan provides cover that’s ready to use whenever you need it, from £10 a month.

Join today

Related articles and guides

Dentist chatting with their patient looking at a tablet

Your guide to the dental

Everything you need to know about visiting the dentist, including what an appointment is like and how often you should go.

Read our dental health guide

Health treatment guides

Learn about other treatments and services that can support your health and wellbeing, like optical, counselling, and physiotherapy. 

Health treatment guides
Woman flossing in front of the mirror

10 ways to look after your teeth

Find out what clinical experts say we can do in our day-to-day lives to help protect and improve the health of our smiles

How to look after your oral health

This material may contain links to other websites operated by third parties. It is the responsibility of third parties to ensure such material and websites comply with all relevant laws and regulations. To the maximum extent permissible by law Simplyhealth disclaims all responsibility for such websites.