• clinical examination, case assessment and report
• orthodontic case assessment and report
• advice, dental charting, diagnosis and treatment planning
• radiographic examination and radiological report
• study casts
• colour photographs
• instruction in the prevention of dental and oral disease, including dietary advice and dental hygiene instruction
• surface application as primary preventive measures of sealants and topical fluoride preparations
• scaling, polishing and marginal correction of fillings
• taking material for pathological examination
• adjustments to, and easing of, dentures or orthodontic appliances
• treatment of sensitive cementum

• non-surgical periodontal treatment (gum disease treatment), including root planing, deep scaling, irrigation of periodontal pockets and subgingival curettage and all necessary scaling and polishing
• surgical periodontal treatment, including gingivectomy, gingivoplasty or removal of an operculum, raising and replacement of a mucoperiosteal flap, curettage, root planing and bone resection
• free gingival grafts
• permanent fillings in amalgam, composite resin, synthetic resin, glass ionomer, compomers, silicate or silico-phosphate, including acid etch retention
• sealant restorations
• endodontic treatments (root canal treatment) of permanent or retained deciduous teeth, pulpotomy and apicoectomy
• extraction of teeth
• transplantation of teeth
• oral surgery including surgical removal of cyst, buried root, unerupted tooth, impacted tooth or exostosed tooth and alveolectomy
• soft tissue surgery in relation to the buccal cavity and lips
• frenectomy, frenuloplasty, frenotomy
• relining and rebasing dentures including soft linings
• addition of tooth, clasp, labial or buccal flange to dentures
• splints (other than laboratory-made splints) in relation to periodontally compromised teeth and in connection with external trauma
• bite-raising appliances (other than laboratory made appliances)

• laboratory-made porcelain or composite veneers, including acid etch retention
• inlays, pinlays, onlays and palatal veneers, in alloys containing 60% or more fine gold, porcelain, composite resin and ceramics

Crowns including any pin or post aids to retention:

• full or three-quarter crown cast in alloys containing not less than 33⅓% fine gold or platinum or palladium
• full or jacket crown cast in alloys containing stainless steel or cobalt chromium or nickel chromium
• crown in porcelain, synthetic resin and other non-metallic crowns
• full or jacket crowns in alloys containing not less than 33⅓% fine gold or platinum or palladium, or alloys containing stainless steel or cobalt chromium or nickel chromium, with thermally bonded porcelain
• jacket crown thermally bonded to wrought platinum coping
• prefabricated full or jacket crown, including any pin or post retention

Bridges including any pin or post aids to retention:

• bridges in alloys containing 60% or more fine gold with or without thermally bonded facings
• bridges cast in alloys containing stainless steel, cobalt chromium or nickel chromium, with or without thermally bonded facings
• acid etch retained bridges
• bridges in other materials
• provision of full (completed) or partial dentures, overdentures and obturators in synthetic resin or metal or both synthetic resin and metal, including any cast or wrought metal components or aids to retention
• orthodontic treatment and appliances
• other custom-made applications excluding sports guards

You do not have to pay a dental charge if:

• you are having stitches removed
• your dentist has to stop bleeding from your mouth
• your dentures need repair

However, if it is not possible to repair your dentures and you need new ones then you’ll have to pay for these.

The NHS will not provide cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening, which you may want to make your teeth more attractive, but are not clinically necessary.

If you’re referred by your dentist for specialist NHS dental work as part of an existing course of treatment, you should only pay one charge.

However, if you are referred to another dentist, such as for a full course of treatment under sedation, then this is generally regarded as a separate course of treatment and you will have to pay a second charge. The amount you need to pay will depend on the treatment you need.

If you have completed one course of treatment but you need another treatment, you do not have to pay again if:

• you need more treatment within the same or a lower charge band (such as another filling) within 2 months of completing a course of treatment
• you need repair work or a replacement for crowns, bridges or dentures within a year of the original work being done – you should return to the same dentist, but certain conditions apply, which your dentist should discuss with you