NHS patients

Emergency dental treatment

This covers emergency care such as pain relief or a temporary filling in a primary care NHS dental practice.

• A clinical examination, assessment and report
• An orthodontic assessment and report
• Advice, diagnosing and planning of your treatment
• X-rays
• Moulds of your teeth – for example, to see how your teeth bite together
• Taking coloured photographs
• Advice on preventing future problems, such as diet advice and cleaning instructions
• Applying sealants or fluoride preparations to the surfaces of your teeth
• A scale and polish
• Marginal correction of fillings
• Taking a sample of cells or tissue from your mouth to examine (pathological examination)
• Adjusting false teeth (dentures) or orthodontic appliances, such as braces
• Treating sensitive cementum (the tissue that covers the root of a tooth)
• Urgent treatment when you need to see a dentist immediately also costs £19.70.

Band 1 course of treatment

This covers an examination, diagnosis (including X-rays), advice on how to prevent future problems, a scale and polish if clinically needed and preventative care.

• Non-surgical treatment of periodontitis (a severe form of gum disease) – such as root planing (cleaning bacteria from the roots of your teeth) or deep scaling and a polish
• Surgical treatment of periodontitis – such as removing some gum tissue (gingivectomy)
• Free gingival grafts – when healthy tissue from the roof of your mouth is attached to your teeth where the root is exposed
• Fillings
• Sealant restorations – when sealant is used to fill a small hole and seal any grooves in your teeth
• Root canal treatment (endodontics)
• Pulpotomy – removing dental pulp (the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth)
• Apicectomy – removing the tip of the root of a tooth
• Transplanting teeth
• Removing teeth (extraction)
• Oral surgery – such as removing a cyst
• Soft tissue surgery to the mouth or lips
• Frenectomy, frenoplasty or frenotomy – surgery to the folds of tissue that connect your tongue, lips and cheeks to your jaw bone
• Relining and rebasing dentures
• Adding to your dentures – such as adding a clasp or a tooth
• Splinting loose teeth – for example, after an accident or due to periodontitis; this doesn’t include laboratory-made splints
• Bite-raising appliances (similar to a mouth guard) – for example, to correct your jaw alignment; this doesn’t include laboratory-made appliances

Band 2 course of treatment

This covers everything listed in Band 1 above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or removal of teeth.

• Veneers and palatal veneers – new surfaces for the front or back of a tooth
• Inlays, pinlays and onlays – used to restore damaged teeth
• Crowns – a type of cap that completely covers your real tooth
• Bridges – a fixed replacement for a missing tooth or teeth
• Dentures
• Orthodontic treatment and appliances such as braces
• Other custom-made appliances, not including sports guards
• Treatments such as veneers and braces are only available on the NHS if there’s a clinical need for them (not for cosmetic reasons).

Band 3 dental treatment

This covers everything listed in Bands 1 and 2 above, plus crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work.