NHS Dental Charges 2026/27: Band 1, 2 and 3 Costs Explained

NHS dental charges 2026/27. You pay one charge per course of treatment, no matter how many appointments it takes. Source: DHSC, NHS England.

NHS dental charges for 2026/27 came into effect on 1 April 2026 and will stay in place until the end of March 2027. They are set nationally, so the amounts below apply anywhere in England. Here is exactly what you will pay, what each band covers, and who qualifies for free treatment.

This page also compares NHS charges with typical private prices across London, drawn from fees the practices publish themselves, so you can see the real cost difference before you decide which route to take. If you need an NHS dentist in London, start there. For context on the wider reform changes that took effect alongside these charges, see our guide to the NHS dental contract reforms 2026.

NHS dental charges 2026/27 at a glance

NHS dentistry in England uses a three-band system. You pay one charge for each course of treatment, no matter how many appointments that course involves. The bands for 2026/27 are:

Band 1 and urgent care: £27.90. Covers a check-up, diagnosis (including X-rays), advice, a scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventive care such as fluoride application. Urgent treatment for pain or infection also falls under Band 1.

Band 2: £76.60. Covers everything in Band 1 plus additional treatment such as fillings, extractions, and root canal work.

Band 3: £332.10. Covers everything in Bands 1 and 2 plus more complex work such as crowns, dentures, and bridges.

You only pay the band that matches the highest level of treatment in your course. If your check-up (Band 1) leads to a filling (Band 2), you pay £76.60 total, not £27.90 plus £76.60.

What counts as a course of treatment

A course of treatment is everything your dentist agrees to do from one check-up through to the point where your problem is resolved, even if it takes several appointments. You pay once at the start or end of the course, not per visit.

If you need further work later - for example, a filling six months after your check-up because something new has developed - that is a new course of treatment and a new charge.

Who qualifies for free NHS dental treatment

Around half of NHS dental patients in England pay nothing for their treatment. You will get free NHS dental care if you are under 18; are under 19 and in full-time education; are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months; are an NHS inpatient treated by a hospital dentist; receive Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit; receive Universal Credit and meet the earnings criteria; hold a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate; or hold a valid HC2 certificate under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

If you hold an HC3 certificate, you may get partial help with costs. Always take proof of your exemption to the appointment, because you can be asked to pay the full charge and reclaim it later if you do not.

Urgent and emergency NHS dental treatment

Urgent treatment is charged at the Band 1 rate of £27.90, however much work it takes. That covers the appointment plus treatment to deal with the immediate problem: draining an abscess, a temporary filling or dressing, treating severe pain, or dealing with bleeding or a knocked-out tooth.

Urgent care is meant to stop the problem getting worse, not to finish the job. If you need a permanent filling or a crown afterwards, that is a separate course of treatment and you pay the band charge for it as well. You do not have to go back to the same practice for the follow-up work.

You do not need to be registered with a practice to get urgent NHS treatment, which is worth knowing because there is no such thing as being registered with an NHS dentist in the way people assume.

The NHS Low Income Scheme

If you do not qualify for free treatment outright but money is tight, the NHS Low Income Scheme is the route most people miss. You apply once, using form HC1, and you are assessed on income, savings and outgoings rather than on which benefits you claim.

There are two outcomes:

• HC2 certificate: full help. Your NHS dental treatment is free, at any band. An HC2 works exactly like an exemption.
• HC3 certificate: partial help. The certificate states the maximum you have to pay towards a course of treatment. If the band charge is below that figure you pay the band charge; if it is above, you pay the amount on the certificate.

Certificates usually run for between six months and five years, and you can reapply. Students, people on low wages and pensioners just above the Pension Credit threshold are the groups most often eligible without realising it.

Proving you qualify, and what happens if you get it wrong

You claim an exemption by ticking the relevant box on the form at the practice. The practice does not verify it, and this is where people get caught: claims are checked afterwards, against benefit records, by the NHS Business Services Authority.

If you tick a box you were not entitled to tick, you will be asked to pay the original charge plus a penalty of up to £100. That applies even when the mistake is honest, and honest mistakes are common. The usual ones are claiming on a partner’s benefit rather than your own, carrying on with an exemption after a benefit has stopped, and assuming that being on Universal Credit is enough on its own. It is not: Universal Credit only exempts you when your earnings in the relevant assessment period were below the threshold.

Two habits avoid all of this. Take your proof to the appointment, and if you are not certain you qualify, pay the charge and claim it back afterwards. Claiming back is straightforward. Being chased for a penalty is not.

How to claim a refund

If you paid for NHS dental treatment and you were entitled to free treatment or to help through the Low Income Scheme, ask the practice for form HC5(D) and send it in with your receipt. You have three months from the date you paid. Keep the receipt: without it, the claim is much harder to settle.

What the NHS will not pay for

The bands cover clinically necessary treatment, which means treatment you need to keep your mouth healthy. They do not cover treatment you want for appearance alone. In practice that rules out:

• teeth whitening
• veneers and cosmetic bonding, in almost all cases
• most adult orthodontics, including clear aligners, unless there is a clear clinical need
• implants, other than in limited clinical circumstances such as after an accident or cancer treatment
• white fillings on back teeth, which are not always available on the NHS

Where a treatment is available privately only, the private price is the only price. That is where comparing between practices genuinely pays, and it is the section below.

How NHS charges compare with private prices

NHS vs private dental costs in London 2026. NHS charges: DHSC. Private ranges: Dentist-London.com directory.

The figures below are medians of the “from” prices that London practices publish on their own websites, drawn from 1,295 practices. They are not a like-for-like match with NHS bands, because private treatment covers materials and techniques the NHS does not always fund. Every treatment we hold prices for is on our dental price list, with the cheapest and dearest borough for each.

Check-up and hygiene: NHS Band 1 £27.90. Private check-up in London: median £55. Private hygienist visit: median £75.

Fillings: NHS Band 2 (includes the filling plus check-up) £76.60. Private composite filling in London: typically £120 to £280.

Extractions: NHS Band 2 £76.60. Private oral surgery in London, which covers simple extractions: median £280.

Crowns: NHS Band 3 £332.10. Private crown in London: median £650, and higher for some materials.

Root canal treatment: NHS Band 2 £76.60. Private root canal in London: median £400, and molars cost more than front teeth.

The NHS price advantage is real and often substantial. The trade-off is access: routine NHS appointments at practices with open lists are scarce across much of London. Boroughs such as Richmond upon Thames and Westminster have some of the lowest NHS availability rates in the capital, while Lewisham and Hammersmith and Fulham tend to have significantly better access. Some materials - for example, white fillings on back teeth - are not always available on the NHS.

What to do if you are told there is no NHS availability

If your usual practice tells you they have closed their NHS list, a few things are worth trying:

• Ask whether they are taking urgent NHS patients. Since April 2026, practices with NHS contracts are required to deliver a set amount of urgent care each year, so urgent dental care may still be available even if the routine list is closed.
• Phone NHS 111, who can direct you to practices with current urgent capacity in your area.
• Check neighbouring boroughs. NHS availability varies street by street across London, and a practice two tube stops away may have very different capacity. Our analysis of London dental deserts in 2026 breaks this down borough by borough.
• Ask to join the waiting list for routine care even if the list is officially closed. Places open up through the year.

Frequently asked questions

How much is an NHS dental check-up in 2026?

A routine NHS dental check-up in 2026/27 is £27.90 under Band 1. That covers the examination, X-rays if needed, and a scale and polish if your dentist judges it clinically necessary.

How much is an NHS filling in 2026?

A course of NHS dental treatment that includes one or more fillings is £76.60 under Band 2 in 2026/27. The charge is the same whether you need one filling or several, and it also includes the check-up.

How much is an NHS crown in 2026?

A course of NHS treatment that includes a crown is £332.10 under Band 3 in 2026/27. This covers the crown itself along with any Band 1 and Band 2 work done as part of the same course.

What are the NHS dental bands?

There are three. Band 1 (£27.90) covers examination, diagnosis and prevention. Band 2 (£76.60) covers everything in Band 1 plus fillings, extractions and root canal treatment. Band 3 (£332.10) covers everything in Bands 1 and 2 plus crowns, dentures and bridges. Urgent treatment is charged at the Band 1 rate. You pay the band once per course of treatment, however many appointments it takes.

Do pensioners get free NHS dental treatment?

Not automatically. Age alone does not exempt anyone, and there is no free NHS dental treatment at 60, 65 or any other birthday. You qualify if you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or if you hold an HC2 certificate through the NHS Low Income Scheme. A pensioner just above the Pension Credit threshold is one of the most common cases where the Low Income Scheme helps and people do not think to apply.

Do I pay again if I have to go back?

Not usually. If you need more treatment within two months of finishing a course, and that treatment falls in the same band or a lower one, there is no further charge. After two months it counts as a new course and you pay again.

What if no NHS dentist is taking new patients?

You do not need to be registered anywhere, so you can approach any practice with an open list rather than only your nearest. Availability changes constantly and varies street by street. We list which London practices were last reported as taking new NHS patients by borough. For urgent problems, call NHS 111: urgent care is charged at £27.90 whether or not you have used the practice before.

Do children pay for NHS dental treatment?

No. NHS dental treatment is free for anyone under 18, and for under-19s in full-time education.

Are dental charges the same everywhere in England?

Yes. NHS dental charges are set nationally and apply to every NHS dental practice in England, including every practice in London. Private prices are not regulated and vary by practice.

Cost disclaimer: NHS dental charges are set by the Department of Health and Social Care and correct for the 2026/27 financial year (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027). Private prices are indicative ranges based on our directory data and vary between practices. Contact the practice directly for a personalised quote.

Medical disclaimer: This page provides general information about dental charges. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified dentist. Always consult a qualified dentist about your individual treatment needs.

Dentist-London.com monitors NHS charge changes and updates pricing data regularly. See our about page for editorial standards. Last reviewed April 2026.

Is NHS dental care free?

Not for everyone, but around half of NHS dental patients pay nothing. You qualify for free treatment if you are under 18, under 19 in full-time education, pregnant or a new mother, or receiving certain benefits including Universal Credit (below the earnings threshold), Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. You can also apply for an HC2 certificate through the NHS Low Income Scheme if your income is low. For the full breakdown of who qualifies, see our guide to free dental treatment for over-60s and our dedicated guide to who gets free NHS dental care.

For a broader view of all dental treatment costs in London - not just NHS charges - see our dentist cost London guide.