Updated June 2026
NHS Band 2 Dental Charge: £76.60 (April 2026)
Band 2 covers all active dental treatment: fillings, root canals, extractions, and gum treatment. One fixed charge covers your entire course of treatment, no matter how many procedures are needed.
BAND 2 CHARGE (APRIL 2026)
£76.60
Up from £75.30 in 2025/26 (up 1.7%)
Key fact: This single charge covers your entire course of treatment at Band 2. Two fillings, a root canal and an extraction, or any combination of Band 2 treatments all cost £76.60 total if done within the same course of treatment.
Band 2 also includes everything in Band 1 (examination, X-rays, preventive care, advice) as part of the same charge.
What Band 2 covers
Band 2 includes everything in Band 1 plus the following active treatments:
Fillings
Amalgam fillings and white (composite) fillings, at your dentist's clinical judgement. Front teeth: white is standard NHS. Back teeth: amalgam may be the NHS standard; white may require a private top-up charge for the material difference.
Root canal treatment
Complete root canal therapy including pulp removal, canal shaping, disinfection, and filling of the root canals. One Band 2 charge covers the full procedure including multiple appointments if needed.
Tooth extractions
Simple extractions and most surgical extractions carried out at the practice. Complex extractions requiring hospital oral surgery are typically referred and may be covered differently.
Periodontal (gum) treatment
Root planing, scaling, and other non-surgical gum treatments. If you have gum disease requiring active treatment, this is Band 2.
Denture adjustments and additions
Adjusting an existing denture, adding teeth to a denture, or other modifications. Note: a new denture is Band 3.
Crown preparation (without the crown)
If your dentist prepares a tooth for a crown within the same course but the crown itself is not fitted, this may fall under Band 2. However, if the crown is fitted in the same course, the whole course is Band 3.
One charge, even for multiple treatments
This is the most important thing to understand about Band 2. One charge covers the complete course, no matter how many procedures your dentist carries out.
Example 1
Two fillings plus scale and polish. One Band 2 charge: £76.60. Not £76.60 per filling.
Example 2
Filling plus simple extraction plus X-rays. One Band 2 charge: £76.60 total.
Example 3
Root canal plus two fillings in the same course. One Band 2 charge: £76.60 total.
What happens if Band 3 work is added later
If your dentist starts Band 2 work and then discovers a crown is needed within the same course, you pay the Band 3 charge (£332.10) instead of £76.60. You pay the difference (£255.50), not both charges separately.
Example: Root canal (Band 2), then the dentist decides a crown is needed to restore the tooth. Same course of treatment. Total charge: £332.10 (Band 3). You do not pay £76.60 plus £332.10.
White fillings on the NHS
The rules on white fillings in NHS dentistry are frequently misunderstood. Here is an honest summary:
Front teeth (incisors and canines)
White composite fillings are the standard NHS material for front teeth. Your dentist should provide white fillings for these teeth at no extra charge.
Back teeth (premolars and molars)
Amalgam (silver) is traditionally the NHS standard for back teeth. Your dentist may offer amalgam as the NHS option. If they offer white composite, they may charge privately for the material cost difference. However, many NHS practices now use white composites on back teeth at NHS rates. Ask your practice before treatment.
Amalgam phase-down (2026 update)
Restrictions on dental amalgam have applied in the UK since 2018: it is not used for children under 15, pregnant women, or breastfeeding women, except where a dentist judges it strictly clinically necessary. The EU banned all new amalgam fillings from 1 January 2025, but Great Britain has not followed; the UK government has committed only to a phase-down, and NHS dentists can still provide amalgam where clinically justified. Under the UN Minamata Convention, a global phase-out of amalgam manufacture, import and export was agreed in November 2025 to take effect from 2034.
Band 2 NHS vs private cost comparison
| Treatment | NHS charge | Private range | Saving on NHS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filling (single, front tooth) | £76.60 | £80-180 | Up to £103 |
| Filling (molar, white composite) | £76.60 | £120-250 | Up to £173 |
| Two fillings (same course) | £76.60 | £160-500 | Up to £423 |
| Root canal (front tooth) | £76.60 | £300-600 | Up to £523 |
| Root canal (molar) | £76.60 | £500-800 | Up to £723 |
| Simple extraction | £76.60 | £100-220 | Up to £143 |
| Surgical extraction (at practice) | £76.60 | £200-400 | Up to £323 |
| Root canal + 2 fillings (same course) | £76.60 | £700-1,500+ | Up to £1,423 |
Private ranges are indicative UK estimates compiled from published consumer cost guides (Which?, Bupa Dental Care); private dentists set their own fees, so actual charges vary by practice location and case complexity.
What Band 2 does not include
Some treatments people expect to be Band 2 are actually different bands or not available on the NHS:
- Crowns, bridges, full dentures: These are Band 3 (£332.10), not Band 2.
- Hospital-level oral surgery: Complex impacted wisdom tooth surgery requiring hospital facilities is referred and typically free to the patient as a hospital outpatient.
- Cosmetic white fillings on back teeth: May attract a private top-up charge for the material difference, though many practices do not charge this.
- Implants: Dental implants are almost never available on the NHS and are not covered by any band charge.