If you are lucky enough to be able to get an NHS dentist, there are 3 bands for NHS dental treatment.
Band 1
£16.20 – examination, check up, diagnosis of problem, scale and polish, x-rays, advice and discussion regarding further treatment.
Band 2
£44.60 – all treatment in Band 1 plus fillings, root canal treatment, extractions
Band 3
£198 – all treatment in Bands 1 and 2 plus more complicated procedures such as crowns, bridges and dentures
Check up and filling only?
You will only pay the Band 2 charges. You do not pay both Band 1 and Band 2 charges.
More than one visit to complete the treatment?
You only pay the charge applicable to the Band relevant to your treatment. You do not pay each time you have treatment.
Returning for treatment within 2 months?
If the treatment is in the same Band (or lower Band) as before you will not be charged. For example if you have already been charged for a filling (Band 2) then need another filling a month later, you will not be charged.
Written treatment plan
If your treatment is in Bands 2 or 3 treatment you should get a treatment plan from your dentist detailing how much your treatment will cost.
Referral to another dentist?
You only pay one fee to the dentist who refers you. You do not pay both dentists unless the 2nd dentist is considered to be offering a specialist service such as sedation, home visit, or orthodontics.
Stitches
There are no extra charges for removing stitches
Writing a Prescription
If you need a prescription there are no extra charges for this
Missed appointment
If you miss an appointment you cannot be charged, however if you continue to miss appointments your dentist might decide not to treat you any more .
Credit cards
A dentist is allowed to charge a handling charge for credit card payments
Cosmetic work
The NHS do not cover work that is considered simply cosmetic such as white fillings for back teeth and whitening.
Urgent Care Charges £16.20
The fee is £16.20 regardless of how many appointments it takes to complete the work. This fee is charged if you are not attending your normal dental clinic or you are not currently having a course of treatment. The fee covers an examination, x-rays, temporary fillings, refixing crowns and bridges, one permanent filling, adjustment of dentures, extraction of no more than 2 teeth, and simple repairs to dentures.
My NHS dentist has refused to scale and polish my teeth and says I need to book in with their hygienist at a cost of around £45. Being on an extremely low income, I have not been able to afford this. I now find that they are treating problems caused by build up of plaque but won’t treat the cause. As I have been seeing this dentist for about 7 years, I now have terrible receding gums, awful gum disease, moving teeth and am at risk of losing a few. I look after my teeth as well as I can but am fed up with going for treatments that I wouldn’t need if they just took the few minutes to scale and polish my teeth. They have also removed old fillings, replaced them, then replaced them again a year or so later. They must be making a lot of money from the NHS by treating the end result but not the cause. Are they allowed to insist I see their expensive hygienist for a scale and polish? If so, then why are they allowed to accept NHS patients, who, by their very nature are usually skint and can’t afford the extra charges?