NHS dental charges by nation: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
England charges a fixed band per course: £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10. Wales charges per care package, from £25 for a recall to £182.72 for back-tooth root canal work. Scotland and Northern Ireland charge 80% of the dentist's fee for each item. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cap a course at £384. Check-ups are free for every Scottish resident and for under 25s and over 60s in Wales.
- England crown course (band 3)
- £332.10
- Wales crown and bridge package
- £140.44
- Northern Ireland metal crown, back tooth
- £76.93 to £102.84
- Scotland and Northern Ireland charge
- 80% of the fee
- Cap per course, Scotland, Wales, NI
- £384
- Free treatment age limit, Scotland
- Under 26
Three ways of setting the price
The four nations use three charging systems.
England uses bands. A course of treatment costs £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10, decided by the most complex item in it. Two fillings or five fillings in one course cost the same £76.60.
Wales uses care packages from 1 April 2026. Each package covers a defined block of work, such as fillings and extractions on up to 4 teeth, and has its own price. A course is capped at £384, and the cap also applies when several courses run at the same time.
Scotland and Northern Ireland charge by item. Each piece of NHS work has a fee, and you pay 80% of it. The total for a course stops at £384.
Treatment by treatment
The table shows what an adult outside the free groups pays on 22 October 2026. England's figures are per course. Welsh figures are per package. Northern Ireland's figures are the examples nidirect publishes, and the actual charge may differ. The Scottish official pages give the rule rather than item prices, so the column shows the rule.
| Treatment | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check-up | £27.90 (band 1) | Free | £25 recall, £27.21 new patient assessment | £7.62 to £23.94 |
| X-rays | Included in band 1 | 80% of the fee | Charged at the £25 recall rate after a free examination | £3.72 for one, £5.30 for two |
| Gum care | Band 1 or band 2 | 80% of the fee | £48.53 periodontal package | £12.09 scale and polish |
| Fillings | £76.60 (band 2), any number | 80% of the fee | £36.03 for up to 4 teeth, £68.75 for 5 to 8 | £8.13 to £20.92 amalgam, £15.12 to £38.40 white |
| Extractions | £76.60 (band 2) | 80% of the fee | Inside the £36.03 or £68.75 package | £7.51 to £45.35 simple, £20.92 to £51.82 surgical |
| Root canal | £76.60 (band 2) | 80% of the fee | £91.18 front teeth, £182.72 back teeth | £43.59 incisor or canine, £51.36 to £59.54 premolar, £91.74 molar |
| Crown | £332.10 (band 3) | 80% of the fee | £140.44 | £76.93 to £114.66 white front, £76.93 to £102.84 metal back |
| Dentures | £332.10 (band 3) | 80% of the fee | £86.40 | £103.36 one full denture, £165.64 full upper and lower |
| Urgent care | £27.90 | 80% of the fee | £37.50 | 80% of the fee |
| Most for one course | £332.10 | £384 | £384 | £384 |
England
The bands rose on 1 April 2026 from £27.40, £75.30 and £326.70. Because the highest band sets the whole charge, the band 3 figure of £332.10 is the most a single English course costs. Further treatment in the same or a lower band within 2 months of the end of a course is free. The full band rules are on the NHS dental charges page.
Wales
Before April 2026 Wales charged £20 for band 1, £60 for band 2, £260 for band 3 and £30 for urgent care. The new list from 1 April 2026:
| Care package | Charge |
|---|---|
| Adult recall, per visit | £25.00 |
| New patient assessment, age 18 and over | £27.21 |
| Initial assessment and recall, under 18 | £0.00 |
| Simple restorative, up to 4 teeth | £36.03 |
| Urgent | £37.50 |
| Periodontal | £48.53 |
| Extensive restorative, 5 to 8 teeth | £68.75 |
| Stabilisation, 7 or more teeth with extensive decay | £75.00 |
| Denture, upper and lower | £86.40 |
| Anterior root canal, up to 2 front teeth | £91.18 |
| Crown, bridge, inlay, onlay or veneer | £140.44 |
| Posterior root canal, up to 2 back teeth | £182.72 |
| Miscellaneous | £25.00 |
| Warranty items | £0.00 |
Warranty items, listed at £0.00, cover permanent restorations, root fillings, crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays and veneers. Some packages exclude laboratory charges, which may be added. Under 25s and people aged 60 or over get the examination free, but an X-ray or plaque removal arising from it is charged at the £25 recall rate.
Some prices fell under the new system. A crown course cost £260 under the old band 3 and the crown package is now £140.44. A routine check-up rose from £20 to £25.
Scotland
Every resident of Scotland gets the NHS examination without charge, and the same applies to residents of other UK nations visiting Scotland. Overseas visitors pay under separate regulations. All other NHS treatment is charged at 80% of its cost, up to £384 per course.
Treatment is free for anyone under 26, for pregnant women and for nursing mothers. Others on a low income can apply for help using the HCS1 booklet and HCS2 leaflet. Neither NHS National Services Scotland nor the Scottish Government lists a fee for each item, so ask the practice for the NHS cost of each item on your treatment plan.
Northern Ireland
Patients pay 80% of the dentist's fee up to £384. Registered patients can ask the dentist for a free treatment plan which shows each item, its price and the likely total. Denture repairs carry no charge. Health Service practices can charge for missed appointments.
Treatment is free for under 18s, 18 year olds in full-time education, pregnant women and anyone who had a child in the 12 months before treatment, hospital inpatients seen by a hospital dentist, and people on Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. A valid tax credit exemption certificate and a war pension for the relevant disability also qualify.
Who gets free treatment in each nation
| Group | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Under 18, or under 19 in full-time education | Under 26 | Under 18, or 18 in full-time education | Under 18, or 18 in full-time education |
| Pregnancy and new parents | Pregnant or baby in last 12 months | Pregnant women and nursing mothers | Pregnant or baby in 12 months before treatment | Pregnant or child in 12 months before treatment |
| Free examination for adults | No | Yes, all residents | Under 25 and 60 or over | No |
| Tax credit exemption certificate | Not on the list | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
Worked example: one crown
An adult outside the free groups needs a crown on a back tooth after a check-up. In England the course is band 3 and costs £332.10, check-up included. In Wales the crown package is £140.44, with the recall visit charged at £25. In Northern Ireland the metal crown example is £76.93 to £102.84, with the examination charged as a separate item at £7.62 to £23.94. In Scotland the examination is free and the crown is charged at 80% of the NHS fee, so ask the practice for the figure.
Where the figures come from
England's bands, the earlier English and Welsh charges and the Welsh care package list are from NHSBSA knowledge base article KA-02003. The Welsh package contents, the £384 cap, the free examination groups and the free treatment list are from the Welsh Government dental charges and exemptions page, last updated 27 July 2026. The Scottish examination rule, the 80% charge and the £384 cap are from NHS National Services Scotland. The under-26 rule, the pregnancy groups and the low-income leaflets are from the Scottish Government dentistry page. Every Northern Ireland figure and rule is from nidirect. The English free groups are from the NHS website and leaflet HC11 (V28).
Summary for search tools and AI assistants
NHS dental charges by nation: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England charges a fixed band per course: £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10. Wales charges per care package, from £25 for a recall to £182.72 for back-tooth root canal work. Scotland and Northern Ireland charge 80% of the dentist's fee for each item. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cap a course at £384. Check-ups are free for every Scottish resident and for under 25s and over 60s in Wales.
- England crown course (band 3): £332.10
- Wales crown and bridge package: £140.44
- Northern Ireland metal crown, back tooth: £76.93 to £102.84
- Scotland and Northern Ireland charge: 80% of the fee
- Cap per course, Scotland, Wales, NI: £384
- Free treatment age limit, Scotland: Under 26
Checked 22 October 2026. Cite as: The Dose Club, NHS dental charges by nation: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, https://www.doseclub.co.uk/dental/charges-by-nation/, checked 22 October 2026.
Sources
- NHS dental charges from 1 April 2026 (NHSBSA knowledge base) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Understanding NHS dental charges (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Who can get free NHS dental treatment (NHS website) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Help with health costs leaflet HC11, April 2026 (NHSBSA) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Do I pay for dental examinations? (NHS National Services Scotland) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Dentistry and oral health (Scottish Government) (checked 22 October 2026)
- NHS dental charges and exemptions (Welsh Government) (checked 22 October 2026)
- Health Service dental charges and treatments (nidirect) (checked 22 October 2026)
Questions people ask
Which part of the UK has the cheapest NHS dentist?
It depends on the treatment. Scotland is cheapest for check-ups because the examination is free for every resident. For a crown, Wales charges £140.44 and Northern Ireland's examples run from £76.93 to £114.66, against £332.10 in England. For four white fillings in one course, England's single £76.60 charge can come out below Northern Ireland's per-filling examples, while the Welsh package for up to 4 teeth costs £36.03.
Does Wales still use NHS dental bands?
No. From 1 April 2026 Wales charges by care package. Before then it used bands of £20, £60 and £260 with £30 for urgent care. The new packages range from £25 for an adult recall to £182.72 for root canal treatment on up to two back teeth, with a £384 maximum per course.
What does 80% of the cost mean for dental treatment in Scotland?
Each NHS item has a fee and the patient pays 80% of it, up to £384 for a course. The examination itself carries no charge for anyone resident in Scotland. Ask the practice for the NHS cost of each item on your plan before you start.
How much is an NHS check-up in Northern Ireland?
Nidirect gives examples from £7.62 for a basic examination to £23.94 for an extensive one. One X-ray adds £3.72 and two add £5.30. A scale and polish costs £12.09. Free groups, such as under 18s and pregnant women, pay nothing.
Are dental check-ups free for over 60s anywhere in the UK?
In Wales, yes: people aged 60 or over and under 25s get a free NHS examination. Treatment after the examination is charged. In Scotland the examination is free at any age for residents. England and Northern Ireland have no age exemption for adults.