NHS Bands, Their Pricing and Content
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NHS Emergency or urgent treatment
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If you require urgent care, you will pay a Band 1 charge of £23.80.
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Most urgent treatments can be done in one appointment.
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Once your urgent course of treatment is complete, you may be advised to make another appointment for a separate course of non-urgent treatment. In this case, the relevant NHS banding charge will apply.
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NHS Charge Bands
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There are three bands of charges for all NHS dental treatments.
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*Band 1 - £23.80
*Band 2 - £65.20
*Band 3 - £282.80
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The current dental charges are:
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Band 1 dental treatment: £23.80
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Depending on what’s necessary, this can cover:
* a clinical examination, assessment and report
* an orthodontic assessment and report
* advice, diagnosing and planning of your treatment
* X-rays
* moulds 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 false teeth (dentures) 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 £18.80.
Band 2 dental treatment: £65.20
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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 attached to your teeth where the root is exposed
* fillings
* sealant restorations – when sealant is used to fill a small hole and seal any grooves in your teeth
* root canal treatment (endodontics)
* pulpotomy – removing dental pulp (the soft tissue at the centre of a tooth)
* apicectomy – removing the tip of the root of a tooth
* transplanting teeth
* removing teeth (extraction)
* oral surgery – such as removing a cyst
* soft tissue surgery to the mouth or lips
* frenectomy, frenoplasty 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: £282.80
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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, pinlays 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 appliances, 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).
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What if I need more treatment?
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If, within two months of completing a course of treatment, you need more treatment from the same or lower charge band – such as another filling – you don't have to pay anything extra.
If the additional treatment needed is in a higher band, you will have to pay for the new NHS course of treatment.
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However, once two months have passed after completing a course of treatment, you'll have to pay the NHS charge band (listed above) for any NHS dental treatment received.
Certain treatments (including lost items) are guaranteed for 12 months from the date they were completed. These are:
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fillings
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root fillings
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inlays
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porcelain veneers
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crowns
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Treatments provided under this guarantee must be similar or related to the original treatment, but they don't have to be like for like.
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I would like to find out more​
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If you would like to find out more about the NHS pricing for dental treatment, please visit an official NHS website here.
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