Who is entitled to free dental treatment

You will only ever pay once for your course of treatment and this payment will be at the end once all of the work is done. For example, you may need a course of treatment which requires you to have a filling and root-canal work at different times. In this example, you would only pay once you have had both the filling and the root canal work done, as they are both included in your course of treatment.

Depending on what you need to have done, you should only ever be asked to pay one charge for each complete course of treatment, even if you need to visit your dentist more than once to finish it.

Missing your appointment may result in early termination of your course of treatment. If you are having a private course of treatment and miss an appointment, there is nothing stopping private practices from imposing a charge for missed private appointments. Because of this, it is advisable to discuss your treatment options, ask for an estimated cost of the proposed treatment and understand in advance what the consequences would be if you missed that appointment.

It would be a good idea to check the agreement you have with your practice from the outset of your treatment sessions to make sure you understand what charges they could ask for if you missed your appointment. It might be easier, for example, to pick a dentist near your workplace. You can get recommendations from friends or family, or check out recommendations for dentist surgeries on the NHS Choices website. W Which? Editorial team. What treatments are included? What about scale and polish? Your dental examination The cost of NHS dental treatment Do I have to pay for work done to my teeth after each appointment?

View more links. If you need a filling when pregnant or breastfeeding, there are materials other than dental amalgam that your dentist can use in the interim until the full range of treatments are available. Your dentist will discuss the amalgam alternatives with you to agree on the best option. Unless your amalgam fillings are broken or there is further decay, and urgent treatment is required, your dentist will not remove or replace them.

If you are registered for Continuing Care with your dentist, you may ask your dentist for a treatment plan. This is free and explains:. If you are a Hospital Dental Service outpatient or a Community Dental Service patient, you may have to pay for dentures and bridges. If you have a low income but aren't entitled to free dental care, you might get help with the costs under the Low Income Scheme.

To read about applying to the scheme, go to:. Providers of Health Service dentistry can charge you if you miss an appointment. Different rules may apply in a private practice, so you should check what their policy is. We will not reply to your feedback. Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers. The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.

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For queries about your identity check, email nida nidirect. For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani accessni. If one or more of the criteria listed below applies to you when your treatment starts, you'll be entitled to free NHS dental care. You're also entitled if you or your partner — including civil partner — receive, or you're under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:.

Medical conditions do not exempt patients from payment for dental treatment. You'll be asked to show your dentist written proof that you do not have to pay for all or part of your NHS treatment. You will also be asked to sign a form to confirm that you do not have to pay. Pregnant women and women who have had a baby in the last 12 months get free NHS dental treatment. You may have to show proof, such as a maternity exemption certificate MatEx , a maternity certificate MATB1 , or your baby's birth certificate.

If you gave birth more than 12 months ago, you will not be entitled to free NHS dental treatment. Tell your dental practice you want NHS treatment when you make an appointment. When you arrive for your appointment, you'll be given a form to fill out — if you do not have to pay, put a cross in the appropriate box. If you have a valid HC2 certificate or tax credit exemption certificate, write in the certificate number.

If you have a valid HC3 certificate, write in the certificate number and the maximum your certificate says you can pay.

You'll pay either what appears on the certificate or the actual charge, whichever is the least. Dentists are not responsible for advising patients on exemptions, and it's the patient's responsibility to know if they're exempt. You'll need to show proof of your entitlement to help with dental costs.