NHS Services & Rules
What does NHS Band 2 cover?
By The Local Dentist Editorial · Updated 13 July 2026
What sits in Band 2
Band 2 is the middle NHS charge band in England and Wales, covering treatment that actively fixes disease or damage without laboratory-made work. The classic Band 2 items are fillings (of any material the NHS provides for that tooth), tooth extractions, and root canal treatment. The band also automatically includes everything from Band 1 — the examination, X-rays, and a scale and polish where clinically necessary — because a course of treatment is charged once at its highest band, not band by band. For 2025/26 the charge is £75.30 in England and £60 in Wales, identical at every NHS practice.
One charge, however much Band 2 work you need
The per-course rule does the heavy lifting here. If your check-up finds three teeth needing fillings and a wisdom tooth needing extraction, the entire course — exam, X-rays, all three fillings, and the extraction — costs one Band 2 charge: £75.30 in England. The charges never stack per item or per appointment, even when the course takes several visits to complete. This is why NHS dentistry is exceptional value for people needing a backlog of repair work cleared, and why the treatment plan your dentist gives you before starting shows a single band and price for the course rather than an itemised bill.
When Band 2 becomes Band 3 — and what Band 2 is not
If any item in the course requires laboratory work — a crown, denture, or bridge — the whole course moves up to Band 3 (£326.70 in England, £260 in Wales), and that single Band 3 charge covers the Band 2 work too. A common sequence: root canal treatment (Band 2) often ends with a recommendation to crown the tooth, which would make the course Band 3, so ask your dentist to set out the full picture upfront. Band 2 is also strictly NHS: cosmetic upgrades such as a white filling on a back tooth where amalgam is the NHS-appropriate option are private choices priced by the practice (typically £90–300 per white filling) and must be listed separately on your treatment plan.
Scotland and Northern Ireland do it differently
The band system only exists in England and Wales. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, NHS dental treatment is charged item by item: you pay 80% of the cost of each individual item — each filling, each extraction — up to a cap of £384 for the whole course of treatment. NHS dental examinations are free in Scotland. Depending on how much work you need, this can come out cheaper or more expensive than a Band 2 charge, which is one reason cross-border comparisons confuse people. The usual exemptions (under-18s, pregnancy and maternity, low-income schemes, qualifying benefits) remove charges entirely in every UK nation.
People Also Ask
Is a root canal Band 2 or Band 3?
Root canal treatment itself is Band 2 (£75.30 in England). If the same course also includes a crown on the treated tooth — common after root canal — the whole course becomes Band 3 (£326.70).
Do I pay Band 1 and Band 2 for the same course?
No. You pay one charge at the highest band the course reaches. A course with an exam and two fillings is a single Band 2 charge that includes the exam.
Are wisdom tooth extractions Band 2?
Extraction at a dental practice is Band 2. Complex cases referred to hospital oral surgery are handled under hospital arrangements instead — your dentist will explain if a referral is needed.
Is a white filling included in Band 2?
Where a white filling is the clinically appropriate NHS option — usually front teeth — yes. On back teeth the NHS option is often amalgam, and a white alternative may be offered privately at £90–300 per tooth.
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This article is general information for UK patients, not clinical advice, and NHS rules and charges change — confirm current rules on nhs.uk or speak to a dentist before acting. For severe facial swelling affecting breathing/swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma call 999 / go to A&E; otherwise NHS 111 for urgent dental access. Price figures are indicative benchmarks from ourmethodology.