NHS dental charges to rise

Residents will soon see an increase in the cost of NHS dental treatment, with changes set to take effect from April 1st.

The rise in charges will be the first since April 2020 and, despite the increase, will still be lower than those in England. The additional revenue generated from the increased charges will be reinvested back into NHS dentistry services.

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From April 2024, the standard charges for NHS dental treatment in Wales will range from £20.00 to £260.00, depending on the treatment required, with urgent treatment costing £30.

Approximately half of the population in Wales receive NHS dental treatment for free, including children under 18, pregnant women, individuals in full-time education, those receiving certain benefits, and individuals who have had dentistry treatment in a hospital. Furthermore, the low-income scheme offers full or partial assistance with health costs based on individual circumstances.

Despite financial constraints, the Welsh Government has increased investment in dentistry, with funding now £27 million higher than it was in 2018-19. An additional £2 million per year has been allocated to address local access issues.

Changes to the dentistry contract in Wales include a requirement for NHS practices to accept new patients. Since this mandate was implemented in April 2022, 312,000 individuals who previously struggled to secure NHS dental appointments have now received treatment.

Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, Eluned Morgan said:

"Because of the extreme pressure on our budget we have had to consider if additional funding should be raised by increasing dentistry charges."

"This is the first increase we have made to dentistry charges since 2020. Around half of patients don’t pay for their NHS dental treatment and we will continue to protect those that are least able to afford to pay."

"It is vital we all keep our teeth and gums healthy. This is why we are working to make it easier for people to see an NHS dentist by increasing the number of new NHS places and helping dentists to focus on those who need help by changing how often we see a dentist for routine appointments."