England — NHS Banded Charge Pricing System

Regulated by Care Quality Commission (CQC). NHS dental charges in England are set nationally and apply uniformly across all NHS dental practices.

England — NHS Dental Index

NHS Dental Charges in England — 2026

NHS dental treatment in England is structured around three fixed patient charge bands, set by NHS England and reviewed periodically. Each band covers a defined scope of treatment within a single course of care. The current charges, effective May 2026, represent an increase from the previous schedule.

Patients pay a single charge per course of treatment, regardless of the number of appointments required to complete that course. If additional treatment is needed after the course is closed, a new charge applies.

Band 1 Charge

NHS England

£27.90

Examination, X-rays, scale & polish

Band 2 Charge

NHS England

£76.60

Fillings, extractions, root canal

Band 3 Charge

NHS England

£332.10

Crowns, dentures, bridges

NHS England Charge Spread — May 2026

Band 1 → Band 2 → Band 3

£27.9 Low

£332.1 High

£76.6 Median

Median marker = Band 2 charge

NHS England Banded Charges — May 2026

NHS England Patient Charge Bands (May 2026)
Band	Patient Charge	Treatments Included
Band 1	£27.90	Examination, diagnosis, X-rays, scale & polish, simple preventive treatment
Band 2	£76.60	All Band 1 treatments plus fillings, extractions, root canal treatment
Band 3	£332.10	All Band 1 & 2 treatments plus crowns, dentures, bridges, other laboratory work

Source: 2026 Aggregated Data — Dentaclarity National Price Index

NHS England Patient Charge Bands (May 2026)

Band 1

Patient Charge: £27.90
Treatments Included: Examination, diagnosis, X-rays, scale & polish, simple preventive treatment

Band 2

Patient Charge: £76.60
Treatments Included: All Band 1 treatments plus fillings, extractions, root canal treatment

Band 3

Patient Charge: £332.10
Treatments Included: All Band 1 & 2 treatments plus crowns, dentures, bridges, other laboratory work

Source: 2026 Aggregated Data — Dentaclarity National Price Index

NHS Dental Charge Exemptions — England

Certain patient groups are exempt from NHS dental charges in England. Exemption status must be declared at the time of treatment. Fraudulent exemption claims may result in a penalty charge.

NHS England Dental Charge Exemptions (May 2026)
Eligibility Criteria	Exemption Level	Scope
Under 18	Full exemption	All NHS dental treatment
Under 19, in full-time education	Full exemption	All NHS dental treatment
Pregnant or had a baby in last 12 months	Full exemption	All NHS dental treatment
NHS Low Income Scheme (HC1/HC2)	Full or partial	Based on assessed income
Universal Credit recipient	Full exemption	All NHS dental treatment
Pension Credit recipient	Full exemption	All NHS dental treatment

Source: NHS England — Patient Charge Exemption Guidance, May 2026

NHS England Dental Charge Exemptions (May 2026)

Under 18

Exemption Level: Full exemption
Scope: All NHS dental treatment

Under 19, in full-time education

Exemption Level: Full exemption
Scope: All NHS dental treatment

Pregnant or had a baby in last 12 months

Exemption Level: Full exemption
Scope: All NHS dental treatment

NHS Low Income Scheme (HC1/HC2)

Exemption Level: Full or partial
Scope: Based on assessed income

Universal Credit recipient

Exemption Level: Full exemption
Scope: All NHS dental treatment

Pension Credit recipient

Exemption Level: Full exemption
Scope: All NHS dental treatment

Source: NHS England — Patient Charge Exemption Guidance, May 2026

NHS vs Private Market Variance — England

The differential between NHS and private dental fees in England is substantial for complex treatments. For elective or cosmetic procedures not covered by the NHS, patients access the private market where fees are unregulated and subject to significant geographic and practice-level variance.

NHS vs Private Fee Comparison — England (May 2026)
Treatment	NHS Charge	Private Median (National)	Private Median (London est.)
Examination & Scale	£27.90 (Band 1)	N/A (NHS covered)	N/A
Filling (single)	£76.60 (Band 2)	£120–£250	£150–£320
Root Canal	£76.60 (Band 2)	£820	£900–£1,100
Crown	£332.10 (Band 3)	£700–£1,200	£850–£1,500
Dental Implant	Not available on NHS	£2,400	£2,700–£3,200
Teeth Whitening	Not available on NHS	£450	£500–£600

Source: 2026 Aggregated Data — Dentaclarity National Price Index

NHS vs Private Fee Comparison — England (May 2026)

Examination & Scale

NHS Charge: £27.90 (Band 1)
Private Median (National): N/A (NHS covered)
Private Median (London est.): N/A

Filling (single)

NHS Charge: £76.60 (Band 2)
Private Median (National): £120–£250
Private Median (London est.): £150–£320

Root Canal

NHS Charge: £76.60 (Band 2)
Private Median (National): £820
Private Median (London est.): £900–£1,100

Crown

NHS Charge: £332.10 (Band 3)
Private Median (National): £700–£1,200
Private Median (London est.): £850–£1,500

Dental Implant

NHS Charge: Not available on NHS
Private Median (National): £2,400
Private Median (London est.): £2,700–£3,200

Teeth Whitening

NHS Charge: Not available on NHS
Private Median (National): £450
Private Median (London est.): £500–£600

Source: 2026 Aggregated Data — Dentaclarity National Price Index

Banded Charge Compliance Note: All NHS dental practices in England must adhere to the national patient charge bands as a condition of their NHS contract. Practices may not charge NHS patients above the published Band 1, Band 2, or Band 3 rates. If you are asked to pay more than the banded charge for NHS treatment, report your concern to NHS England or the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Location Indices — England

London

15–20% premium over national median. Granular postcode-level data available.

View London Index

Manchester

Approximately 5% premium over national median private fees.

View Manchester Index