NHS dental charges

You do not have to pay if when you started your treatment you are:

• Under 18 years old
• Aged 18 years and in full time education
• Pregnant or you’ve had a baby within the 12 months before your treatment started

You may also get free NHS dental treatment if when you started or when asked to pay you get:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Valid Tax Credit certificate or name on a valid HC2 or HC3 certificate 

For more information on exemption click here.

You may be asked to pay for the full or part payment towards your treatment at the start of the treatment or during the treatment.

We take the following payments cash, Visa and MasterCard.

We aim to make your experience at the practice as pleasurable as possible. However if you should have any complaints, please talk to our Practice Manager who will be able to deal with your complaints and talk you through our compliant procedure.

If you are still not happy with the outcome you can write to:

NHS England

PO BOX 16738

Redditch

B97 9PT 

Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

Our friendly staff is at hand to guide you through the process. Simply come in or call us and we will take down your details.

We have male and female dentists at the practice and if you express a preference about which dentist you would like to see, we will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the request is met. 

We DO NOT charge for a missed appointment but if you continue to miss appointments we may decide not to offer you treatment.

If you have to cancel an appointment we request you give us 24 hours' notice. This allows us to offer your appointment to other patients.

We have a fully accessible Ground Floor Surgery for the disabled, wheelchair users and those who can't manage the stairs.

Smoking

Smoking can affect your health and increase your chances of smoking related diseases. This will give you bad breath, staining of your teeth and in some cases cause mouth cancer. 

Giving up smoking isn’t easy and we have clinics all round us to help. Ask your dentist for more advice and how to stop smoking. If you want more information visit the NHS Stop Smoking Service by clicking here.

Alcohol

Your dentist will ask you how much you drink during your examination appointment, while updating your medical history. The units will be recorded with your clinic notes and you will be given advice on how to stop drinking. 

The dentist or the oral health educator will explain some alcohol related disease. If you would like more information about cutting down or stopping altogether then click here.

Fluoride

Fluoride is found naturally in water in different areas within the UK, depending on where you live. 

Fluoride benefits in reducing the risk of tooth decay, and this is why it is added to toothpaste and also to water in some areas within the UK. 

Your dentist or a trained dental nurse, who has carried out the training in applying fluoride, will carry out this procedure. This is a simple procedure where they apply fluoride to the tooth surface to prevent tooth decay. 

The gel comes in a brown or clear colour, but the most common one that is used is brown in colour. 

Fluoride is applied to all age groups from 6 years onwards.

Antibiotics

Your dentist will check if you are allergic to any antibiotics before prescribing them to you. Sometime you may not know that you are allergic to a specific type until you have taken them. Inform your dentist straight away if you have side effects or you develop an allergic reaction. This could be a reddish rash to your skin or an upset stomach. Immediately stop taken them and inform your dentist. Outside working hours and in emergency situations, contact A&E for advice. 

Antibiotics can react with other medication you are taking, for example the oral contraceptive pill. It is important that you read the information leaflet that comes with the medication carefully.