The cost for an NHS check-up at the dentist has risen to £25.80 this week, as dentistry fees rise by 8.5% across the board.
More complex treatments, such as crowns, will now cost £306.80 (up from £282.80) after the charges rose for the first time since December 2020, when they were frozen due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dental treatment is charged in 'bands' , with higher charges for more complex dental work. You should only pay once for each course of dental treatment, so the maximum you should pay is £306.80.
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The new charges are:
- Band One (eg routine check-ups, X-rays and scale and polish): £25.80 (up from £23.80)
- Band Two (all treatment in Band One, plus eg fillings, root canals and removing teeth): £70.70 (up from £65.20)
- Band Three (all treatment in Bands One and Two, plus more complex treatment like crowns, dentures and bridges): £306.80 (up from £282.80)
The increases come as research revealed that less than half of children (44%) saw a dentist in the past year in England, with opposition MPs warning that parts of the country have become "dental deserts". Data commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that there are as many as 3,000 people per NHS dentist in some English areas.
Concern is growing that millions struggling with the cost of living crisis will struggle to afford dental treatment, with campaigners warning that the cost rises will force people to return to Victorian times by attempting to carry out their own dental work.
It is thought that as many as 11m people are now going without appointments or cannot afford dental fees, up from four million in 2019. And d figures show that 7.5m in England were unable to access NHS dentists last year due to being turned away, left on long waiting lists or put off by costs Around 3.6m did not even bother trying to get an appointment as they believed there was no chance of one.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has cautioned that the dental crisis is leading desperate people to resort to performing so-called DIY dentistry. His party is calling for an NHS dental healthcare plan to ensure every person can access affordable dental care.
A dentist is paid the same whether they do three or a dozen fillings on a patient so it is difficult to hit NHS targets treating complex cases. Polling shows half of dentists have slashed the number of NHS patients they see with many going fully private. Sir Ed wants reforms to the NHS dental contract and is pressing for additional resources for mobile dental units to visit schools, community centres and care homes. He also wants VAT to be removed from children's toothbrushes and toothpaste.
"The staggering rise in dental deserts has left far too many people struggling to get an NHS dental appointment," Sir Ed said. "It is heartbreaking that people are being left waiting in pain for months or even years for the dental care they need. Many are being forced to shell out thousands of pounds on private dental care, while some are even turning in desperation to DIY dentistry."
A poll commissioned by the Lib Dems last year revealed that a fifth of people who failed to get an NHS dentist appointment in the past year turned to DIY dentistry. In the Savanta ComRes survey of 2,234 UK adults carried out in August, 21% said they attempted to carry out dental work on themselves or asked somebody else who was not a dentist to assist them. Another 26% delayed seeing a dentist despite suffering pain, while more than a quarter paid for private treatment.
The Department of Health and Social Care said ministers were preparing to announce further measures to "improve" access to NHS dental surgeries. A spokesman said: "We are working to improve access to NHS dental care by investing more than £3billion a year. We reformed the NHS dental contract to encourage more dentists to provide NHS treatments and allow dental therapists and hygienists to offer extra services, and increased the amount practices receive for high-need patients. There were over 500 more dentists delivering NHS care in 2022 than in 2021, but we know there is more to do and we will be announcing further measures to improve access across the country soon."
Speaking about the price increases, Cat Hobbs, director at anti-privatisation campaign group We Own It, told The Mirror: “This is absolutely outrageous. “People shouldn't have to pay to go to the dentist, get an eye test or get their ears syringed. The Government is lying when it says the NHS is free at the point of use. It's Victorian. These Government decisions mean that huge numbers of people who are struggling right now won't look after their health because they can't afford it."
People in certain groups are entitled to free NHS dental treatment, such as:
- Aged under 18, or aged under 19 and in full-time education.
- Being treated in an NHS hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist (but you may have to pay for any dentures or bridges).
- Pregnant or have had a baby in the past 12 months.
- Receiving low income benefits, such as income-related employment and support allowance, income support, the guarantee element of pension credit or universal credit, or you're under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low income benefits.
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