What Is Included in NHS Dental Treatment? A Treatment-by-Treatment Guide
Reviewed and updated 12 August 2026 · By the DentistTracker team
NHS dental treatment includes everything your dentist judges clinically necessary to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy — check-ups, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions, crowns, dentures and bridges. In England these are charged in three bands, priced at £27.90, £76.60 and £332.10 from 1 April 2026. Purely cosmetic work, such as teeth whitening, is not included.
If you are wondering what is included in NHS dental treatment for a specific procedure — crowns, braces, implants, white fillings — this guide covers each one in turn, with the charge band it falls under and what you would pay in 2026.
Looking for a dentist? We track which NHS practices are accepting new patients in every English town, using daily-checked NHS data — check your town now.
The rule that decides what the NHS covers
According to the NHS website, the NHS provides treatment that is clinically necessary to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy. Your dentist decides what counts, based on a clinical assessment of your teeth rather than on appearance. Anything purely cosmetic has to be done privately, and your dentist must make clear which parts of a treatment plan are NHS and which are private, along with the costs of each, before any work starts.
In England, NHS treatment is charged in three bands. These are the official prices from 1 April 2026:
| Band | Price (England, 2026) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | £27.90 | Examination, diagnosis including X-rays, advice on preventing future problems, a scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventive care such as fluoride varnish |
| Band 2 | £76.60 | Everything in Band 1, plus fillings, root canal treatment and tooth extractions |
| Band 3 | £332.10 | Everything in Bands 1 and 2, plus crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work |
| Urgent | £27.90 | Urgent care such as temporary fillings, draining an abscess or up to two extractions |
You pay one charge per course of treatment, at the highest band involved. A check-up that leads to two fillings costs £76.60 in total, not £27.90 plus £76.60, and if you need more treatment in the same or a lower band within two months of completing the course, there is no extra charge. Some things are always free, including having stitches removed and denture repairs. Our guide to NHS dental charges explains the band system in full, and children and young people under 18 — or under 19 and in full-time education — plus some adults, including pregnant women, new mothers and people on certain benefits, pay nothing at all; see who qualifies for free NHS dental treatment.
These bands apply in England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run their own charging systems.
One safety note before the treatment list: if you have facial swelling that is affecting your breathing or swallowing, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent dental problems that are not life-threatening, call NHS 111 — our emergency dentist guide explains how to get an urgent appointment.
Are fillings covered by the NHS?
Yes. Fillings are Band 2 treatment, so £76.60 in England, however many you need in one course. According to the NHS website, your dentist offers the most appropriate type of filling for your clinical needs, which can be white (tooth-coloured) or amalgam (silver). White fillings are available on the NHS when they are clinically appropriate, but the choice of material is the dentist's clinical decision, not an automatic entitlement.
The rules on amalgam have tightened. Under regulations in force since 2018, amalgam must not be used in baby teeth, in children under 15, or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless the dentist considers it strictly necessary for medical reasons. More broadly, the UK is phasing down amalgam use rather than banning it outright, so tooth-coloured materials are increasingly common — but amalgam remains available where a dentist judges it the right option.
Is root canal treatment available on the NHS?
Yes. Root canal treatment falls under Band 2 (£76.60). It treats infection at the centre of a tooth and usually takes more than one visit, after which the tooth is sealed with a filling or a crown. If a crown is needed to finish the job, the whole course of treatment is charged at Band 3 instead, because you pay the highest band involved.
Are crowns available on the NHS?
Yes, when clinically necessary — for example when a tooth is too broken down or decayed for a filling to work, or to protect a tooth after root canal treatment. Crowns are Band 3 treatment, so £332.10 in England from April 2026. That single charge covers the whole course, including the laboratory work and any temporary crown fitted while your permanent one is made. A crown wanted purely to improve the look of a healthy tooth would be private.
Are dentures and bridges covered?
Yes, both are Band 3 (£332.10). NHS dentures are custom-made removable replacements for missing teeth, in plastic or metal. Bridges are fixed replacements anchored to neighbouring teeth, provided where a bridge is the clinically appropriate way to replace what is missing. Denture repairs are free on the NHS, though a replacement set is a new Band 3 charge.
Can you get braces on the NHS?
For under-18s, yes — if there is a clear clinical need. According to the NHS website, braces are usually only free on the NHS for people under 18 who have a problem with their teeth, and an orthodontist assesses eligibility. That assessment uses the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN): NHSBSA guidance states that NHS-funded orthodontic treatment is normally restricted to grade 4 or 5 on the dental health scale, or grade 3 combined with an aesthetic score of 6 or more. Mild crowding that is purely cosmetic will not qualify.
Adults aged 18 or over usually have to pay for braces privately; NHS treatment for adults is only occasionally approved on clinical grounds. Be prepared for a wait either way — the NHS itself notes that waiting lists to see an orthodontist can be long.
Are dental implants available on the NHS?
Rarely. According to the NHS dental treatments guide, implants are usually only available privately and are expensive; NHS provision does happen, but it is uncommon and generally limited to patients who cannot wear dentures for particular reasons. If you think you might qualify, ask your dentist, as these cases typically go through a specialist referral. For most people, the NHS route for replacing missing teeth is a denture or bridge under Band 3.
Is wisdom tooth removal covered?
Yes, when a wisdom tooth is causing problems. If your own dentist can remove it, it counts as an extraction under Band 2 (£76.60). If the tooth is impacted or the removal is complex, your dentist can refer you to hospital, where the treatment is provided through the NHS hospital service rather than the banded charge system, so you do not pay a dental band charge for it.
Do you get a scale and polish or hygienist appointments on the NHS?
A scale and polish is included on the NHS when your dentist decides it is clinically needed — as part of a Band 1 check-up for straightforward cleaning, or under Band 2 where more extensive gum disease treatment is required. What the NHS does not fund is a routine hygiene clean requested purely for cosmetic freshness; practices usually offer that privately. If your gums genuinely need treatment, it is NHS work.
Is teeth whitening available on the NHS?
Almost never. Teeth whitening is a cosmetic treatment, and the NHS website says it is generally only available privately. The narrow exception is a genuine medical reason — for example, lightening a tooth that has discoloured because the nerve inside it has died — but whitening simply for a brighter smile is always private. Do not confuse whitening with a scale and polish, which removes plaque, tartar and some surface staining and can be provided on the NHS where clinically needed.
Can you get sedation for NHS dental treatment?
Yes, for people whose anxiety or medical needs make routine treatment impossible. NHS England's clinical standards for dental anxiety management set out a graded approach: behavioural support and talking therapies where possible, conscious sedation — by inhalation ("gas and air" style) or intravenously — where needed, and general anaesthesia reserved for cases where treatment is not possible any other way. Access is by referral from your own dentist, and the exact services and criteria vary by area, so ask your practice what your local pathway looks like.
Before any of this: find a practice taking NHS patients
Every treatment on this page depends on getting through the door first. Practices report their own acceptance status to the NHS website and are asked to confirm it at least every 90 days, which means listings can lag behind reality. DentistTracker checks that NHS data every day, so you can see which practices near you are currently accepting new NHS patients rather than ringing round out-of-date lists. Start with our live search of NHS dentists accepting patients in your town.
Frequently asked questions
Are white fillings available on the NHS?
Yes, when clinically appropriate. NHS fillings are Band 2 treatment (£76.60 in England from April 2026), and your dentist offers the most suitable material for your clinical needs, which may be white or amalgam. The choice rests with the dentist, not the patient. Amalgam cannot be used for baby teeth, under-15s, or pregnant or breastfeeding women unless strictly necessary, and its use is being phased down across the UK.
How much is a crown on the NHS in 2026?
A crown is Band 3 treatment, which costs £332.10 in England from 1 April 2026. That single charge covers the entire course of treatment, including any examination, X-rays, fillings, the laboratory work and a temporary crown while your permanent one is made. Crowns are only provided on the NHS when clinically necessary — for instance a badly broken-down tooth — not for purely cosmetic reasons.
Can adults get braces on the NHS?
Usually not. According to the NHS website, people aged 18 or over normally have to pay for braces privately, with NHS treatment for adults only occasionally approved on clinical grounds. Under-18s can get free NHS braces if an orthodontist assesses a clear clinical need using the IOTN scale — normally grade 4 or 5, or grade 3 with an aesthetic score of 6 or more. Waiting lists can be long.
Are dental implants ever available on the NHS?
Rarely. The NHS website says implants are usually only available privately and are expensive. NHS-funded implants are sometimes provided, but generally only for patients who cannot wear dentures for particular reasons, and these cases go through specialist referral. For most people the NHS option for replacing missing teeth is a denture or bridge, charged at Band 3 (£332.10 in England from April 2026).
Is teeth whitening available on the NHS?
Not for cosmetic reasons. The NHS only provides treatment that is clinically necessary, so whitening simply to brighten your smile is always private. The narrow exception is a genuine medical reason — for example, a tooth that has darkened because the nerve inside it has died may occasionally be treated on the NHS. A scale and polish is different — it removes plaque, tartar and some surface staining, and is available on the NHS when your dentist decides it is clinically needed.
Does the NHS cover hygienist appointments?
Only where there is a clinical need. A scale and polish is included in a Band 1 course of treatment (£27.90 in England) if your dentist judges it necessary, and more extensive gum disease treatment falls under Band 2 (£76.60). A routine hygiene clean requested purely to freshen your smile is cosmetic, so practices normally offer it privately rather than on the NHS.