NHS dental charges to rise with lowest level of care up to £27.40

The amount that people pay for basic NHS dental care is set to rise by 60p.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said the charges will rise by an average of 2.3%.

While some people are entitled to free NHS dental care, many need to pay based on the type of treatment they need.

Under the new fees, people who need so-called Band 1 care, which includes check-ups or X-rays, will now pay £27.40, up from £26.80 previously.

People who need Band 2 care, which includes fillings, tooth extraction or root canal treatment, will need to pay £75.30, up from £73.50.

Meanwhile, people who need dentures; bridges; crowns or braces will need to pay £326.70, up from £319.10, according to an amendment to the the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations.

Children; pregnant women; certain veterans and people in receipt of certain benefits can access free dental care on the NHS.

Others will need to pay the new fees when they visit an NHS dentist from April 1.

Shiv Pabary, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said: “This hike is reheated austerity.

“It won’t put a penny into a struggling service. Our patients are paying more, just so ministers can pay less.

“Rachel Reeves will need to justify her stealth cuts to millions of patients.”

A poll has appeared on the campaigning website 38 Degrees which is calling for the price hike to be scrapped.

Matthew McGregor, chief executive at 38 Degrees, said: “Families across the country will be bracing themselves today at the news that they’ll soon be hit by a health bill hike during this ongoing cost of living crisis – and that’s if they’re lucky enough to even have access to an NHS dentist in the first place.

“It’s the wrong move at the wrong time – especially as the extra price tag won’t result in the improvements in dental care so many of us are desperate for.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We inherited a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, and NHS dentistry services that had been left broken by years of neglect.

“We are already rolling out an extra 700,000 urgent appointments, introducing a supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children, and planning dental contract reform to make NHS work more appealing to dentists.

“In previous years, dental patient charges have increased above inflation levels, which is not the case this year. Almost half of all patients remain eligible for dental patient charge exemptions under the NHS – including children, those on low incomes and pregnant women – as we deliver fundamental reform to get the sector back on its feet through our plan for change.”