NHS dental charges 2020-2021 up by 5% from 14th December

Christopher Hilling

4 years ago

From 14th December 2020, NHS fees increase by 5%.

The increase comes after a freeze of NHS dental fees because of the coronavirus lockdown and closure of dental practices.

“The 5% increase marks the fifth and final year of the Spending Review 2015 commitment to annually uplift dental patient charges by 5% for the duration of the Spending Review period.”

UK Parliament Statement UIN HCWS593, 23 November, 2020

Following a six-month freeze, the dental charge payable for a Band 1 course of treatment rises by £1.10, from £22.70 to £23.80. A Band 2 course of treatment increases by £3.10 from £62.10 to £65.20. A Band 3 course of treatment increases by £13.50 from £269.30 to £282.80.

NHS dental fees (patient charges) for 2020-2021 were not adjusted until December 2020 this year. Until then, the NHS dental charges remained at the 2019-2020 rate.*

Dental Treatment Band	2020-21 Charge	2019-20 Charge	Increase	%
Band One	£23.80	£22.70	£1.10	5%
Band Two	£65.20	£62.10	£3.10	5%
Band Three	£282.80	£269.30	£13.50	5%

A ministerial decision froze dental patient charges at 2019-20 levels for six months until December 2020. Usually the fees are adjusted for April 1st each year. The decision was made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you would like further details about treatment under the NHS (National Health Service), please contact your nearest practice.

How much will I pay for my NHS Dental Treatment?

You will not be charged for individual items within an NHS course of treatment.

Dental Treatment	also known as	NHS Band	2020-21	2019-20
New patient consultation	Check-up or Examination	Band 1	£23.80	£22.70
Basic x-rays	Bite Wings or Radiographs	inc patient consultation	£nil	£nil
Scale and polish	Basic hygiene clean	inc patient consultation	£nil	£nil
Hygiene deep scaling	Hygiene extended appointment	Band 2	£65.20	£62.10
Amalgam filling	Metal filling	Band 2	£65.20	£62.10
Composite filling	White filling	Band 2 (normally front teeth only)	£65.20	£62.10
Root canal treatment	Root filling	Band 2	£65.20	£62.10
Simple extraction	Tooth removal	Band 2	£65.20	£62.10
Crown	Cap on tooth	Band 3	£282.80	£269.30
Dentures	False teeth	Band 3	£282.80	£269.30

Depending on what you need to have done, you should only ever be asked to pay one charge, fixed at a rate according to one of the bands above. The fee is set for each completed course of treatment, even if you need to visit your dentist more than once to finish it. A course of dental treatment is completed when the treatment listed in your treatment plan is provided in full.

If the patient charges are not clear, ask your dentist to explain and request a written payment plan.

Do I have to pay for my treatment?

You contribute to your NHS dental treatment as per the bands above unless you are entitled to free dental care. The main criteria of entitlement to free dental care are:

You are entitled if you are:

aged under 18, or under 19 and in full-time qualifying 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 – however, you may have to pay for your dentures or bridges

You are also entitled to free dental charges if you or your partner, including civil partner, receive, or you’re under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

Income Support
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
Universal Credit and meet the criteria

How much did the NHS dental charges increase in 2019-20?

Important information:

What is included in each band? Understanding NHS charges from April 2020, before the current lift in prices.
Check the NHS England Health Costs for further details.

About previous patient charges – 2019-20:

*Please note: As at 9th April 2020, there was a freeze on NHS dental fees. There did not appear to be any legislation published for this ministerial decision, but it was reported on the government’s NHS BSA dental portal in the April 2020 Dentist Bulletin.

* Please also note: Some SpaDental practices are only able to see private patients because they do not hold a contract with the NHS. Our private only practices, offer a range of dental plans to spread the cost of of treatment over monthly payments.