If no NHS dentist near you is accepting patients, your realistic options are paying privately (check-ups typically £40–£80), a dental payment plan such as Denplan (roughly £15–£35 a month), or a health cash plan that refunds dental bills up to an annual limit. For urgent dental pain, call NHS 111.
- ✓A private dental check-up typically costs £40–£80; a hygienist visit £50–£90.
- ✓Dental plans (like Denplan) spread routine costs at roughly £15–£35 a month.
- ✓NHS 111 can still arrange urgent dental care even if you have no dentist.
Why finding an NHS dentist is so hard
The NHS dentist shortage isn't your imagination. Surveys and BBC investigations in recent years have found large parts of England where no NHS practice is taking new adult patients at all, and Healthwatch has repeatedly flagged dentistry as its single biggest source of complaints. The underlying cause is the NHS dental contract — many dentists say the rates paid for NHS work don't cover their costs, so practices have quietly shifted their books towards private patients.
The result: millions of people with no regular dentist, rising 'DIY dentistry' stories, and A&E departments seeing dental infections that a routine check-up would have caught. The NHS is brilliant when you can get in the door. For dentistry, in much of the country, the door is currently shut.
Option 1: pay privately as you go
The simplest route is paying a private dentist per visit. Almost every practice that has closed its NHS books will see you privately, usually within days. Typical prices:
| Treatment | Typical private cost |
|---|---|
| Routine check-up (exam) | £40–£80 |
| Hygienist (scale and polish) | £50–£90 |
| Small X-rays | £10–£25 each |
| White filling | £90–£250 |
| Root canal treatment | £300–£700+ |
| Crown | £450–£900 |
| Extraction | £100–£300 |
For comparison, NHS charges in England are banded — Band 1 covers an examination and X-rays for around £27, and Band 3 (crowns, dentures) caps out around £320. Private prices are clearly higher, but for someone who mainly needs two check-ups and a hygienist visit a year, the private total is often £150–£250 annually — annoying, not ruinous. The bigger risk is the year something goes wrong: a root canal plus crown privately can top £1,000, which is exactly the scenario the plans below exist to smooth out.
Option 2: dental plans and cash plans
Two different products spread the cost, and they work in opposite directions:
- Dental payment plans (e.g. Denplan, Practice Plan). You pay your own practice a monthly fee — typically £15–£35 depending on your dental health — which covers check-ups, hygienist visits and usually some or all routine treatment. You must join through a participating dentist, and the price is set after an initial assessment.
- Health cash plans (e.g. Simplyhealth, Westfield Health). You pay an insurer from around £10–£30 a month and claim money back on everyday health costs — dental, optical, physio — up to annual limits, often £70–£200 a year for dental. You can use any dentist, NHS or private.
- Dental insurance. Standalone policies exist that cover routine and restorative work and dental injury, typically £10–£30 a month, with waiting periods before big treatments are claimable.
Which wins depends on your teeth. Healthy mouth, two check-ups a year: a cash plan or self-pay is usually cheaper. Ongoing dental work: a Denplan-style plan through your practice generally offers better value, because it's priced to include treatment. And note that standard private medical insurance mostly doesn't cover routine dentistry — some insurers offer dental as a paid add-on, which is worth pricing against the alternatives above.
Compare cash plans and health cover
Urgent dental problems: use 111
If you're in genuine dental pain and have no dentist, call NHS 111 (or use 111 online). They can book urgent NHS dental appointments at designated emergency slots, which exist even in areas where no practice is taking regular patients. You'll pay the standard NHS urgent charge — around £27 in England — and it covers what's needed to get you out of pain, not a full course of treatment.
Go to A&E only for the genuinely serious end: facial swelling spreading to the eye or neck, swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, uncontrollable bleeding, or trauma. A&E can't do dentistry, but these are medical emergencies.
Many private dentists also offer same-day emergency slots, typically £80–£150 for the emergency assessment plus the cost of whatever treatment follows. If 111 can't offer anything quickly and you can afford it, this is often the fastest route out of pain.
Children, and who still gets NHS priority
NHS dental treatment is free for under-18s (under-19s in full-time education), pregnant women and new mothers, and people on certain benefits. Practices that ration NHS places often prioritise children — some will take a child as an NHS patient if a parent joins privately or on a plan. It's worth asking directly, because this arrangement is common but rarely advertised.
If you genuinely can't find any NHS dentist for your child, escalate: contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is responsible for commissioning NHS dentistry in your area, and copy in Healthwatch. It doesn't always produce a quick result, but ICBs do maintain lists and can point you to practices with capacity.
Longer term, the pragmatic answer for many families is a hybrid: children on the NHS where possible, adults on a modest dental plan or cash plan, and a private medical insurance policy handling the bigger non-dental risks. We compare cash plans and health insurance side by side, so you can see what each pound actually buys.
Frequently asked questions
Why is no NHS dentist near me accepting new patients?
Because NHS dental contract rates often don't cover practices' costs, many dentists have reduced or closed their NHS lists and shifted to private work. It's a national problem — investigations have found whole areas of England with no practice taking new adult NHS patients. Availability does change, so phoning around periodically still helps.
How much does a private dental check-up cost?
Typically £40–£80 for the examination, with small X-rays £10–£25 each and a hygienist visit £50–£90. A routine year of private dentistry — two check-ups and a hygiene appointment — usually totals £150–£250, before any treatment. Prices vary by practice and are highest in London.
Is Denplan worth it if I can't get an NHS dentist?
Often, yes — if your practice offers it and you need regular care. Denplan-style plans cost roughly £15–£35 a month based on your dental health, covering check-ups, hygienist visits and usually routine treatment. For a healthy mouth needing only check-ups, paying per visit or a cash plan can be cheaper.
Do health cash plans cover dental treatment?
Yes — dental cover is a core cash plan benefit. You pay from around £10–£30 a month and claim back dental costs up to an annual limit, commonly £70–£200 depending on the tier. You can use any dentist, NHS or private, but check waiting periods before claiming for treatment you already know you need.
What do I do about severe tooth pain with no dentist?
Call NHS 111. It can book urgent NHS dental slots that exist even where no practice is taking regular patients, for the standard urgent charge of around £27 in England. Alternatively, many private dentists offer same-day emergency appointments for £80–£150 plus treatment costs — often the fastest route out of pain.
Does private health insurance cover dentist visits?
Mostly not — routine dentistry sits outside standard UK private medical insurance. Some insurers offer dental cover as a paid add-on, and a few plans cover dental injury or oral surgery (like wisdom tooth removal in hospital). For everyday dentistry, a dental plan or health cash plan is usually the better-designed product.
Are children still entitled to free NHS dental care?
Yes — NHS dentistry is free for under-18s, and under-19s in full-time education, plus pregnant women and new mothers. The challenge is finding a practice with NHS capacity. Many prioritise children, and some will take a child on the NHS if a parent joins the practice privately — ask directly.
Can I go to A&E with a dental problem?
Only for the serious end: facial swelling spreading towards the eye or neck, swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, uncontrollable bleeding, or facial trauma. A&E doesn't provide dentistry and can't fix a toothache. For urgent dental pain, NHS 111 or a private emergency dental appointment is the right route.
How do NHS dental charges compare with private prices?
NHS England charges are banded: Band 1 (exam, X-rays) around £27, Band 2 (fillings, extractions) around £73, Band 3 (crowns, dentures) around £320. Private equivalents typically run £40–£80 for an exam, £90–£250 for a white filling and £450–£900 for a crown — roughly two to three times the NHS band.
Who do I complain to if I can't access NHS dentistry?
Your local Integrated Care Board (ICB), which commissions NHS dentistry in your area — it maintains information on practices with capacity. Copying in your local Healthwatch adds weight, since dentistry is its most-reported issue. Neither guarantees a quick appointment, but ICBs can and do point patients to practices taking NHS patients.