NHS or Private?

What NHS Dentistry Covers

NHS dentistry covers the treatment you need to keep your teeth, gums and mouth healthy. That means examinations, X-rays, cleaning when your gums need it, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions and dentures, provided on an NHS basis where they're clinically necessary. The aim is a healthy, working mouth rather than a particular look.

Examinations are free for everyone in Scotland. NHS fees for treatment are set by the Scottish Government, not by the practice, so the NHS charge for a given item is the same wherever you go, and we always tell you the cost before treatment starts. What the NHS doesn't fund is treatment chosen for appearance: whitening, composite bonding, veneers, Invisalign and dental implants are private, at every practice. If a tooth needs a filling, the NHS pays towards the filling; if you'd like it to be invisible on a back tooth, that's a private choice.

What Does NHS Treatment Cost?

A course of treatment is everything your dentist plans from one examination, so the £384 cap applies to the whole plan, however many items it includes, not to each visit. If you think you qualify for free or reduced-cost treatment, bring proof, such as a benefits letter or your HC2 certificate, and we'll check before anything is done. Out of hours, NHS 24 on 111 can advise on urgent dental problems.

What Does Private Dentistry Add?

• Choice of materials. Tooth-coloured fillings on back teeth, and a choice of ceramic crowns, onlays and veneers made from a digital scan rather than putty impressions.
• Longer appointments. More time to explain, to plan, and to do detailed work without rushing.
• Hygiene care with Airflow polishing, from our dental therapists, as often as your gums need it.
• Cosmetic treatment such as whitening, composite bonding and porcelain veneers, which the NHS doesn't provide.
• Dental implants, full-arch implants and Invisalign.
• More appointment flexibility.

Private care also means a written plan with a fixed fee before treatment starts, and the option of a dental plan that covers examinations, X-rays and hygiene visits for a monthly fee, with free emergency appointments and 10% off most other private treatment. None of this makes private dentistry better dentistry: the same standards of care apply either way. It buys time, choice and treatments the NHS was never designed to fund.

What Does Private Care Cost?

Every private fee is on our fees page. The ones most people ask about are:

Private fees are generally higher than NHS charges for the same essential items; the difference pays for longer appointments and the choice of materials and laboratory work. For bigger private treatment, interest-free finance over 6 or 12 months is available on plans of £1,500 or more, subject to status. Our private dentist cost guide goes through every fee in detail.

Can I Mix NHS and Private?

Yes, and many people do. The usual pattern is NHS examinations and essential treatment, with private care chosen for specific things: whitening before a wedding, a tooth-coloured filling on a back tooth, composite bonding on a chipped front tooth, or an implant to replace a missing tooth. You can also see our dental therapists privately for hygiene visits with Airflow between NHS dental examinations.

Your dentist tells you which option is available for each item and what each costs before anything starts, so you can decide item by item. Choosing a private option for one tooth doesn't take you off the NHS for the rest of your care. And if you're an NHS patient elsewhere, you can still book private treatment such as implants or Invisalign with us without a referral, and keep your own dentist for dental examinations.

NHS Places at St Vincent Smile

We see children and teenagers on the NHS with no waiting list, and NHS dental care is free for them. To register a child, request a call back and choose NHS place, or message us on WhatsApp, and we'll book their first NHS examination.

NHS places for adults are limited, so we keep a waiting list. Join it the same way, and we'll call you when a place opens up. How long that takes depends on how many places become available, and we can't promise a date. In the meantime you can be seen privately, with a new patient examination at £70, or join a dental plan, and stay on the list. Bring proof of any exemption, a list of any medicines you take, and your previous dentist's details if you have them. See NHS dentistry at St Vincent Smile for the full picture.

Which Is Right for You?

There's no single right answer, and it isn't a question of good or bad dentistry. It comes down to what you want from your care and what you're entitled to.

• NHS suits you if you want essential care at set charges, you're under 26, pregnant or on a qualifying benefit, or you're registering a child.
• Private suits you if you want longer appointments, a choice of materials, regular hygiene care with Airflow, or treatment the NHS doesn't fund, such as implants, Invisalign, bonding or veneers.
• Mixing suits you if you're happy with NHS essentials but want one or two private things done to your own taste.

If you're unsure, ask. We'll explain both options for whatever you need, with the cost of each, and let you decide. Nobody at St Vincent Smile is steered towards private treatment they don't want.

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.