2026/27 NHS Dental Charges
The 2026/27 NHS dental charges took effect on 1 April 2026. In England, Band 1 is £27.90, Band 2 £76.60, and Band 3 £332.10, with urgent treatment at £27.90. The uprating represents a rise of around 4 to 5 per cent across all three bands compared to the 2025/26 charges. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each updated their respective fee structures concurrently under their devolved frameworks. This page summarises the current charges across all four UK nations, the legal basis for the changes, the contract reform context, and what the April 2027 review may bring.
Quick answer: 2026/27 NHS dental charges
England Band 1 £27.90, Band 2 £76.60, Band 3 £332.10, urgent £27.90 from 1 April 2026. Wales Band 1 £20.00, Band 2 £60.00, Band 3 £260.00. Scotland: free examination since 2021, SDR-based treatment fees with £384 cap. Northern Ireland: 80 per cent of SDR item fee, £384 cap. Set by The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (England) and devolved equivalents.
The 2026 uprating: what changed
The April 2026 uprating was the latest in the annual cycle of NHS dental charge reviews. The amending regulations were laid before Parliament in February 2026 and took effect on 1 April 2026. The rises across the three English bands were:
| Band | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 (check-up, X-rays, scale and polish) | £26.80 | £27.90 | +£1.10 (+4.1%) |
| Band 2 (fillings, root canal, extractions) | £73.50 | £76.60 | +£3.10 (+4.2%) |
| Band 3 (crowns, bridges, dentures) | £319.10 | £332.10 | +£13.00 (+4.1%) |
| Urgent treatment | £26.80 | £27.90 | +£1.10 (+4.1%) |
The roughly even percentage rise across bands reflects the standard NHS uprating approach: a flat percentage uplift applied to all bands, rounded to the nearest 10 pence. The 4.1 to 4.2 per cent rise broadly tracks the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations for dental practice running costs and is consistent with the recent pattern of annual rises.
All four UK nations compared
NHS dental charges differ by UK nation under devolved governance. The 2026/27 position across the four nations is:
| Nation | Structure | Headline figures |
|---|---|---|
| England | Three-band, per course | £27.90 / £76.60 / £332.10 |
| Wales | Three-band, per course | £20.00 / £60.00 / £260.00 |
| Scotland | Item-of-service, 80% patient contribution, £384 cap | Free exam; treatment per SDR item |
| Northern Ireland | Item-of-service, 80% patient contribution, £384 cap | Per SDR item including exam |
The structural differences mean direct comparison is not straightforward. For a low-complexity course (one filling), Wales is the cheapest banded option at £60.00, then Scotland and NI at around £20 to £40 patient contribution, with England at £76.60. For a high-complexity course requiring multiple items reaching the £384 cap, England's £332.10 Band 3 is the cheapest. The right comparison depends on the case.
Legal basis: the 2026 Amendment Regulations
The English NHS dental charges are set by statutory instrument. The 2026 changes were made by The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which amends the principal regulations: The National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005. The statutory instrument is the legal vehicle that gives the charges binding force on NHS dental practices.
The legislative process for each annual uprating is:
- Department of Health and Social Care drafts the amending regulations in early February.
- The regulations are laid before Parliament with an explanatory memorandum justifying the rise (Pay Review Body recommendations, inflation context).
- Parliament has 40 days to annul the regulations under the negative resolution procedure; in practice this rarely happens.
- The regulations take effect on 1 April.
- NHS England issues operational guidance to practices in March confirming the new charge bands and any administrative changes.
The published statutory instrument is available on legislation.gov.uk and is the authoritative source. NHSBSA publishes the operational charge schedule that practices use.
Contract reform context
The 2026/27 charges sit within the existing NHS dental contract framework introduced in 2006. The contract uses Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) to remunerate practices: each Band 1 procedure is worth 1 UDA, each Band 2 procedure 3 UDAs, each Band 3 procedure 12 UDAs. Practices are required to deliver a contracted UDA target annually, with penalties for shortfall and no extra income for exceeding the target.
The UDA model has been widely criticised as incentivising high-volume routine treatment at the expense of preventive care and complex restoration. The British Dental Association, the National Audit Office, and the Health and Social Care Committee have all called for fundamental contract reform. NHS England issued a contract reform package in 2022 with high-needs patient incentives and minor charge tweaks, but the UDA framework remains the core funding model.
Wales has moved further. The Welsh contract reform programme launched in 2022 moved practices off the UDA target toward a contact-based approach paying for risk-assessed contacts. Scotland and Northern Ireland use item-of-service SDR models that pay practices per procedure. The four nations are increasingly divergent in their NHS dental contract approaches, although the patient-facing charges all sit within the broader UK framework of means-tested exemption.
The Health and Social Care Committee's 2024 inquiry into NHS dentistry recommended structural reform in England, including a move toward capitation-based payment for routine care and ring-fenced funding for complex restorative work. The Government's response was supportive in principle but did not commit to a specific reform timeline. The 2026/27 charges continue the incremental annual uprating within the current framework while broader reform discussions continue.
What April 2027 may bring
The April 2027 uprating is expected on 1 April 2027 following the standard annual cycle. The size of any rise will depend on the Pay Review Body recommendations issued in early 2027, the NHS funding settlement in the autumn 2026 spending review, and general inflation conditions. A continuation of the recent 4 to 5 per cent annual pattern would put the bands at approximately:
- Band 1: around £29.00 (from £27.90)
- Band 2: around £79.70 (from £76.60)
- Band 3: around £346.00 (from £332.10)
- Urgent treatment: around £29.00 (from £27.90)
These are illustrative projections based on the recent uprating pattern. The actual 2027/28 figures will be confirmed when the amending regulations are laid before Parliament in February or March 2027. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will update their respective fee structures concurrently under their devolved frameworks.
Frequently asked questions
When does a new NHS dental charge take effect?
On the day the regulations specify, which is consistently 1 April for the annual uprating. Treatment starting before 1 April but extending past it is charged at the rate in force at the date the course of treatment opened (the original assessment date), not the date of the final appointment.
Why are NHS dental charges going up every year?
The annual uprating reflects general inflation and NHS practice running cost pressures. The intent is to maintain the real value of the patient charge contribution to NHS dental funding while not creating an above-inflation barrier to attendance. Critics argue that even inflation-linked rises compound a cost barrier that already deters significant numbers from attending.
Are the rises matched by improved NHS dental funding?
The relationship between patient charge increases and overall NHS dental funding is indirect. Patient charges contribute to NHS dental practice income alongside the NHS contract payment. NHS England's total dental budget is set in the spending review and changes independently of the patient charge schedule. The BDA and the NAO have both noted that overall NHS dental funding has not grown in real terms despite patient charge rises.
Did the 2026 rise affect access to NHS dentistry?
The April 2026 rise was modest in absolute terms (£1.10 to £13.00 depending on band) and not the primary driver of NHS dental access pressures. The dominant factors limiting NHS access are practice workforce shortages and practices reducing NHS commitment, not patient charges. Any impact of the 2026 rise on attendance will be visible in NHS England's 2027 dental statistics.
Where can I find historical NHS dental charge data?
The historical schedule of NHS dental charges is published by NHSBSA. The legislation.gov.uk archive also holds the historical statutory instruments back to the 2005 principal regulations. NHS England publishes annual operational guidance summarising the current and recent charges for practice reference.
Related pages on this site
- The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on legislation.gov.uk: legislation.gov.uk
- NHSBSA on NHS dental charges: nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-dental-costs
- House of Commons Library briefing CBP-9325 on NHS dentistry: commonslibrary.parliament.uk
- NAO NHS dentistry value-for-money report (March 2023): nao.org.uk
- British Dental Association on contract reform: bda.org
This page is information only and is not legal advice. NHS dental charges are reviewed annually by the Department of Health and Social Care (England) and devolved equivalents. Always confirm the current charge with your dental practice before treatment. Projections for 2027/28 are illustrative based on the recent uprating pattern and are not official forecasts.