There are three bands of charges for all NHS dental treatments. It is important to note that these may change in April.

Band 1 dental treatment: £25.80

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover:

•     a clinical examination, assessment and report
•     an orthodontic assessment and report
•     advice, diagnosing and planning your treatment
•     X-rays
•     moulds (casts) 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 dentures (false teeth) 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 £18.00.

Band 2 dental treatment: £70.70

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover everything listed in band 1 above, plus:

•     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 grafted (attached) to your teeth where the root is exposed
•     fillings
•     sealant restorations: when the sealant is used to fill a small hole and seal any grooves in your teeth
•     root canal treatment (endodontics)
•     pulpotomy: removing the dental pulp (the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth)
•     apicectomy: removing the tip of the root of a tooth
•     removing teeth (extraction)
•     oral surgery, such as removing a cyst (fluid-filled sac)
•     soft tissue surgery to the mouth or lips
•     frenectomy, frenuloplasty 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 3 dental treatment: £306.80

Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover everything listed in bands 1 and 2 above, plus:

•     veneers and palatal veneers: new surfaces for the front or back of a tooth
•     inlays, inlays 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 applications, 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).