NHS Scotland dental care

NHS dental treatment is designed to support the health of your mouth, teeth and gums. It includes any treatment your dentist considers clinically necessary to help keep your mouth healthy and free from pain.

For most patients, this may include dental examinations, routine treatment and preventive care. The NHS can also provide fillings, root canal treatment, extractions and dental appliances where clinically necessary.

The cost of your NHS dental treatment will depend on the care you need. Use our guide below to learn more about what treatment is available to you as an NHS patient in Scotland.

Find your nearest dentist here

How much will I pay for NHS dental treatment?

You can get free dental treatment in Scotland if you're:

under 26 years old
pregnant or are a nursing mother

Unless you are in one of the groups entitled to free NHS dental treatment, or help with the cost, you'll need to pay 80% of the cost of your NHS dental treatment up to a maximum of £384 per course of treatment.

Find out more about this on the Practitioner Services website.

Costs

The NHS fee structure is complex and varies considerably from patient to patient depending of the treatment required.

Examples of costs can be found on the Scottish Dental website.

Find your nearest dentist here

Help with costs

The Scottish Government have produced a leaflet providing information on NHS dental costs and getting help with these. It's called A Quick Guide To Help With Health Costs.

NHS dental care at mydentist

When you visit a mydentist practice as an NHS patient, your clinician will assess and judge what treatments they consider to be appropriate. They will always make sure you are aware of what treatments are provided by the NHS and what treatments you may opt for on a private basis, should you need, along with associated costs.

How do I find an NHS dentist?

Here at mydentist, we work with our clinicians to provide you with access to both NHS and private dental care, to ensure you get the most out of your smile. If you’re currently looking for a new NHS dentist, we may be able to help. Use our search function to locate a mydentist practice offering NHS services close to you.