NHS Dental Charge History
How prices have changed from 2010 to 2026
Band 1 since 2010
+64%
£17.00 to £27.90
NHS dental charges in England are reviewed every April by the Department of Health and Social Care. Since the three-band system was introduced in 2006, charges have risen in all but three years (the 2020 to 2023 COVID-era freeze). Over the past 16 years, dental charges have consistently outpaced general inflation, making NHS dental treatment more expensive in real terms.
Band 1 has risen from £17.00 in 2010/11 to £27.90 in 2026/27 - a 64% increase. Band 3 has risen from £204.00 to £332.10 - a 63% increase. Over the same period, cumulative CPI inflation has been approximately 45% to 50%.
Despite these increases, NHS dental treatment remains vastly cheaper than private dentistry for most procedures. The banding system, while imperfect, provides a cost ceiling that private dentistry does not. The challenge for most patients is not the price but the availability of NHS dental services.
Full Charge History - 2010/11 to 2026/27
All three band prices for every year since 2010, with year-on-year percentage increases and CPI inflation for context.
| Year | Band 1 | Band 2 | Band 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/11 | £17.00 | £47.00 | £204.00 |
| 2011/12 | £17.50 | £48.00 | £209.00 |
| 2012/13 | £18.00 | £49.00 | £214.00 |
| 2013/14 | £18.50 | £50.50 | £219.00 |
| 2014/15 | £18.80 | £51.30 | £222.50 |
| 2015/16 | £19.70 | £53.90 | £233.70 |
| 2016/17 | £20.60 | £56.30 | £244.30 |
| 2017/18 | £21.60 | £59.10 | £256.50 |
| 2018/19 | £22.70 | £62.10 | £269.30 |
| 2019/20 | £23.80 | £65.20 | £282.80 |
| 2020/21(frozen) | £23.80 | £65.20 | £282.80 |
| 2021/22(frozen) | £23.80 | £65.20 | £282.80 |
| 2022/23(frozen) | £23.80 | £65.20 | £282.80 |
| 2023/24 | £25.80 | £70.70 | £306.80 |
| 2024/25 | £26.80 | £73.50 | £319.10 |
| 2025/26 | £27.40 | £75.30 | £326.70 |
| 2026/27(current) | £27.90 | £76.60 | £332.10 |
CPI inflation figures are calendar year averages from the Office for National Statistics. Charge increases apply from 1 April each year.
Band 3 Price Trend - 2010 to 2026
Visual representation of how the highest band charge has changed over 16 years.
Notable Years in NHS Dental Charge History
The banding system introduced
The current three-band system replaced the old item-of-service system where patients paid a percentage of each individual treatment cost. The change was controversial, with the BDA warning it would reduce treatment quality and patient choice.
Five years of 5% increases
From 2015/16 to 2019/20, dental charges rose by approximately 5% each year, significantly above general inflation (which averaged 1% to 2% during this period). The BDA criticised these increases as a stealth tax on dental patients.
Three-year COVID freeze
Charges were frozen at 2019/20 levels for three consecutive years during and after the pandemic. While welcome for patients, this did not help dental practices whose costs were rising sharply due to PPE requirements, reduced capacity, and general inflation reaching 10%.
8.5% post-freeze catch-up
The first increase after the freeze was the largest single-year rise in recent memory. Band 1 jumped from £23.80 to £25.80, Band 2 from £65.20 to £70.70, and Band 3 from £282.80 to £306.80. Patients who had grown accustomed to stable prices felt the impact.
Return to modest increases
The 1.7% increase for 2026/27 represents a return to more modest annual adjustments. Band 1 rose by just 50p to £27.90. This is actually below the 2.1% CPI inflation figure, meaning charges fell slightly in real terms for the first time in years.
Dental Charges vs Inflation - The Real Picture
One of the most important questions about NHS dental charges is whether they are rising faster or slower than the general cost of living. The answer is clear: dental charges have consistently outpaced inflation.
Since 2010/11, Band 1 has risen by 64% while cumulative CPI inflation over the same period has been approximately 45% to 50%. This gap means that NHS dental treatment has become genuinely more expensive in real terms. A Band 1 check-up that cost £17.00 in 2010 would cost approximately £25.00 in 2026 if it had risen in line with inflation. Instead, it costs £27.90 - around £3 more than inflation alone would suggest.
The main exceptions to this trend were the COVID freeze years (2020-2023), when charges held steady while inflation ranged from 0.9% to 10.1%. This brief respite was more than cancelled out by the 8.5% catch-up increase in 2023/24.
The British Dental Association has repeatedly criticised above-inflation increases, describing them as a "tax on dental patients" that disproportionately affects those on low incomes who do not qualify for free treatment but find the charges increasingly difficult to afford.
Despite these real-terms increases, NHS dental treatment remains remarkably good value compared to private alternatives. A Band 3 course of treatment at £332.10 covers work that would cost well over £1,000 privately. The challenge is not the price - it is finding an NHS dentist in the first place.
When Do Charges Change?
NHS dental charges in England change on 1 April each year, at the start of the new financial year. Here is the typical timeline:
February - March
NHS England announces the new charges, usually in a formal notification to dental practices. The increase is set by the Department of Health and Social Care based on budgetary considerations.
1 April
New charges come into effect. Any course of treatment that starts on or after 1 April is charged at the new rate, regardless of when the treatment plan was agreed or the appointment was booked.
Transitional rule
If a course of treatment started before 1 April but is not completed until after, the charge that applies is the rate in force when the first charge was raised (typically when the treatment plan was agreed and you signed the dental charge form).
Practical tip: If you know you need treatment and the new charges are about to increase, booking your appointment before 1 April can save you the difference. However, the savings are usually small (50p to £5.40 across the bands for 2026/27).
What the British Dental Association Says
The British Dental Association (BDA), which represents dentists across the UK, has been consistently critical of annual charge increases. Their position is that rising patient charges do nothing to address the fundamental problems with NHS dentistry - namely, the outdated contract system, insufficient funding, and the growing access crisis.
"Patients are being asked to pay more for a service that fewer and fewer of them can actually access. Rising charges while dental deserts spread across the country amounts to a tax on those who can still find an NHS dentist."
- British Dental Association, responding to the 2026/27 charge announcement
The BDA has called for fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract, increased funding for dental services, and measures to address the workforce crisis that is driving dentists away from NHS work. While the government has acknowledged these concerns and announced some reforms, progress has been slow and the access crisis continues to worsen in many parts of England.
For the latest BDA commentary and research on NHS dentistry, visit bda.org.
Charge History Frequently Asked Questions
When do NHS dental charges change each year?
Why were NHS dental charges frozen from 2020 to 2023?
How much have NHS dental charges risen in total since 2010?
What was the biggest single-year increase in NHS dental charges?
Will NHS dental charges keep increasing every year?
Do NHS dental charges increase by the same percentage for all three bands?
Current Charges
All Charges
Current band prices
Band 1 - £27.90
Check-ups and diagnosis
Band 2 - £76.60
Fillings and extractions
Band 3 - £332.10
Crowns and dentures
Charges in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are different. Compare all UK nations.