hey it's jon from electric teeth here in this video i will explain the main things you need to know about nhs dental charges and what you can expect to receive in exchange for the price paid the system is a bit complicated but i will do my best to keep things as clear as possible okay so the first thing to note is that whenever you go to see the dentist you should expect to pay whether that is for emergency care check-up or for treatment the cost of seeing a dentist will depend on your circumstances some people are entitled to free nhs dental care if they meet specific criteria but unlike going to an nhs run doctors practice or hospital the treatment is not automatically free for most people nhs dentistry is subsidized by the government so you do not pay the full price to the dentist and despite what many think the fee charged in nhs practices doesn't go straight to the dentist themselves not all dental practices in the uk provide nhs dental care many provide private services only whilst others will provide a mix of nhs and private services the cost of seeing a dentist will depend on whether you are receiving nhs care or private care typically private dentistry is more expensive but it does offer more choice and the ability to obtain products and services not offered by the nhs nhs and associated services are there to provide you with treatment that you need to keep your mouth healthy and functional nhs dental services will not cover cosmetic or aesthetic work this is where private practice can come in so if you need a tooth removed because it's decayed no problem that's covered but if you want a set of shiny white veneers to look like a hollywood a-lister then the nhs won't be helping you with that a key part of an nhs dentist's role is to provide routine checkups to prevent any problems occurring in the first place or going unnoticed your nhs dentist is going to be able to assist with most things you will need but it might well be that you need specialist treatment that your general dentist is unable to offer they have the option to refer you to hospital for some types of nhs dental care this might include for a second opinion about lumps and bumps or for extraction of wisdom teeth in the uk everyone is entitled to nhs dentistry there are nhs dentists available throughout england wales scotland and northern ireland sadly in some areas there are not enough dentists for the number of people living in that region where this is the case you may experience difficulty accessing nhs dentists for routine care and checkups however there are always procedures in place to help you access emergency nhs dental care even if you're not registered with a dentist the cost of nhs dentistry varies depending on whether you are in england wales scotland or northern ireland in england and wales treatment is categorized under three bands each with their own charge set by the governing bodies in scotland and northern ireland you pay a percentage of the dentist fee up to a maximum amount the prices and information provided is correct at the time of recording but is subject to change in england and wells the type of treatment you have will fall typically into one of three bands this applies to all treatment that is clinically necessary band one this is the lowest and cheapest band this includes a typical dental checkup x-rays orthodontic case assessment general dental advice a scale and polish if necessary and it also covers preventative treatments such as the application of a fluoride varnish on screen now you will see a more extensive list taken from the nhs website the band one charge in england is 23 pounds 80 and 14 pounds 70 in wales band two the middle of the three bands this covers treatment for gum disease tooth decay fillings root canal treatments and the removal of teeth as are additions to dentures such as adding a tooth or a clasp the band 2 charge in england is 62.50 and 47 pounds in wales band 3 a band 3 dental charge will cover anything that involves a dental lab to make something for you this is the most expensive band and often requires the most time and resources be that from the staff in the dental practice or labs external to the dentist's office band 3 treatments include laboratory made porcelain or composite veneers onlays inlays bridges crowns and dentures the band 3 charge in england is 282 pounds 80 and 203 pounds in wales there is one additional band known as band 4 or urgent this band covers assessment and specified urgent treatments such as pain relief or a temporary filling or dental appliance repair the band ford charge in england is 23 pounds 80 and 14 pounds 70 in wales free treatments you do not have to pay a dental charge if you're having stitches removed your dentist has to stop bleeding from your mouth or your dentures need repair however if it's not possible to repair your dentures and you need new ones then you'll have to pay for these courses of treatment a very important thing to know is that while specific treatments are priced differently they can fall under one course of treatment and this therefore limits the cost you pay for example if you go in for your routine checkup this falls under band one at that appointment you may be advised that you need to come back for a filling which falls under band two rather than paying the cost of band 1 plus band 2 you only pay the band 2 price this applies whether you come back for one appointment or for a few further appointments it is one price for all the treatment whether you have one or multiple teeth treated in a more extreme scenario you might go for a checkup and be told you need a filling in two teeth an extraction of three teeth and then two new crowns this is quite a bit work and each of these fall into different price bands you do not pay the cost of band one plus band two plus band three you pay the band three price only rules and regulations nhs dental band charges in england and wales follow strict regulations don't worry i'm not going into all of them in this video but it is important to be aware of some key points under the banding system it is possible to have fairly extensive treatment at an affordable price but there are some considerations the price is for one course of treatment if you require additional treatment at a later date after your treatment has been completed you will most likely need to pay for a new course of treatment your course of treatment can only be kept open for a maximum amount of time usually two months without you coming back in reality this means that if you have a checkup and then you don't come back for your filling for three months then you will be expected to pay for two courses of treatment in other words you will pay for your band one checkup for the original checkup when you return for your filling you will need a new checkup because the previous one is out of date so you will pay the full band to charge for the checkup and filling when you return even though you paid for a checkup three months ago this would also apply if you paid a band 2 charge but needed to return for a band 3 treatment free dental care if you meet one or more of the following criteria when your treatment starts you are entitled to free nhs dental care and won't pay the advertised charges you are entitled if you are aged under 18 or under 19 and in qualifying full-time education pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months staying in an nhs hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist an nhs hospital dental service outpatient but you may have to pay for your dentures or bridges you're also entitled if you or your partner including civil partner receive or you're under the age of 20 and the dependent of someone receiving income support income related employment and support allowance income based job seekers allowance pension credit guarantee universal credit and meet the criteria if you're entitled to or named on a valid nhs tax credit exemption certificate a valid hc2 certificate people named on an nhs certificate for partial help with health costs hc3 may also get help you will not be exempt from paying because you receive any of the following incapacity benefit contribution-based employment and support allowance contribution based job seekers allowance disability living allowance council tax benefit housing benefit and pension credit savings credit medical conditions do not exempt patients from payment for dental treatment you'll be asked to show your dentist written proof that you do not have to pay for all or part of your nhs treatment you will also be asked to sign a form to confirm that you do not have to pay please be aware that the rules can vary between countries in the uk and it is always best to consult with your nhs dentist for the most up-to-date and accurate information in wales for example checkups are free for those under 25 or for the over 60s even though the examination is free if you are aged 19 to 24 or over 60 you will be charged a band 1 charge for any x-rays scaling or fluoride varnish application you will also pay for any treatment that is provided i.e band 2 or three nhs dental charges in scotland and northern ireland in scotland and northern ireland dental charges are completely different and will vary depending on your treatment plan you will pay 80 of the dentist charge up to a maximum of 384 pounds the price schemes are complex but your dentist will talk you through the cost of your treatment and provide you with a written breakdown of this before starting treatment as with treatment in england and wales the nhs dental charges in scotland and northern ireland do not apply to everybody some individuals are entitled to free nhs dental care in scotland the prices are set by nhs scotland and nhs dental checkup is free for everyone in scotland x-rays are not included in this and standard bitewing x-rays one each side which are normally taken once per year are five pounds the nhs dental charge is in scotland following a pricing structure that is complex and will vary between patients which makes it difficult to give exact prices for treatment before a checkup shown on screen now is a table of prices that give you some guidance on what you might expect to pay for treatment in scotland however the full list and explanation can be found in the statement of remuneration linked below the cost to you as a patient is 80 of the dentist fee up to a maximum of 384 pounds per course of treatment in northern ireland the prices that you pay are set by the health service of northern ireland the maximum cost of a checkup in northern ireland is seven pounds and three pence not including x-rays this price may increase if a more detailed examination is required for example a further examination of the gums or if x-rays are required standard bite ring x-rays one on each side which are normally taken once a year are four pounds 90.
The nhs dental charges in northern ireland follow a pricing structure that is complex and will vary between patients so it is difficult to give prices before a checkup is completed health service dental charges are outlined in the table shown on screen now taken from northern ireland's direct government services website a full list of explanations of the cost of health service dental treatment can be found through their statement of renumeration linked below which is updated every year nhs guarantee whether you are treated in england wales scotland or northern ireland most dental treatment is covered by the nhs guarantee this means that if treatment is required within 12 months of a tooth being treated you are not expected to pay for that treatment this only applies when it's the same tooth being treated and when you need the same item of treatment replaced if it is a different problem for example a different filling has fallen out then you will be expected to pay the re-treatment must be similar to the original treatment however under the nhs general dental services contract regulation the replacement does not have to be like for like for example a different material may now be more appropriate this guarantee also only applies if you return to the same dental practice if you go to another dental practice you will be expected to pay not all types of treatment are covered by this guarantee but the following types of treatment are included fillings root fillings inlays porcelain veneers and crowns any treatment not on the above list is not covered by the 12-month guarantee for example gum disease and dentures it is possible that if you require a more complex treatment for example a crown instead of a filling you would need to pay for the band 3 charge there is some further small print to this as you might expect and your dentist can go through this with you if you ask can i be charged for missing an nhs appointment you cannot be charged for missing an nhs appointment this is a rule set by the nhs however if you fail to attend appointment or cancel at short notice then you could lose your place at the practice if you've already started a course of treatment and failed to attend other appointments you will still need to pay the relevant charge for the treatment that has been completed nhs courses of treatment will be closed down if you do not return for treatment within two months of the checkup if you fail to attend appointments for your course of treatment even if it's within the two-month time scale the course of treatment may be closed down the treatment plan may also be closed down before the two-month point if your dentist tries getting in contact with you multiple times but you still don't get booked in if a treatment plan is closed down because you do not attend you will be expected to pay for a new checkup when you do return private upgrades it is worth knowing that because many nhs dentists do also undertake private dental treatment they may well offer you the option of opting for additional or premium treatments and services that are not available on the nhs they should make it very clear what is and is not included with your nhs treatment and what the differences are with the privately offered alternative they should too make it clear what the additional cost will be for the private work an example might be that you need a filling under the nhs dental treatment the filling might be silver in color however by opting and paying for the private dental treatment you can have a white colored filling i do hope this video has helped make clear what the nhs dental charges are and how they apply linked in the video description are a number of additional resources you might find useful [Music]
