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NHS UDA & band calculator: dental charges and UDAs (England, 2026)
NHS dental treatment in England is grouped into three patient-charge bands: Band 1 (£27.90), Band 2 (£76.60) and Band 3 (£332.10) from 1 April 2026, with urgent care at £27.90. This free calculator works out the band and patient charge from the treatments you plan — and shows the standard UDA value (1 / 3–7 / 12, urgent = £75 ÷ your UDA value) for that course — using the same deterministic logic as the Nosht in-app NHS bands tool.
Patient charge
Tick a treatment
The patient charge appears here as soon as you tick at least one planned treatment. The highest selected band wins — if you tick a Band 2 treatment, the whole course of treatment is Band 2.
All NHS bands · England, April 2026
- Band 11 UDA£27.90
- Band 23–7 UDAs£76.60
- Band 312 UDAs£332.10
- Urgent£75 ÷ UDA value£27.90
- Free (charge exempt)Per item£0
Reference only — not clinical or financial advice. Charges apply to NHS dental treatment in England only; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Verify the current charge and UDA value against official NHS sources before quoting.
How NHS dental bands work
A course of NHS treatment is charged at the highest band it contains — you pay once for the whole course, not per item. The UDA value is the separate contract currency NHS England uses to measure activity and pay practices.
| Band | Patient charge | UDAs | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | £27.90 | 1 UDA | Covers an examination, diagnosis, and preventive care. |
| Band 2 | £76.60 | 3–7 UDAs | Covers everything in Band 1 plus further treatment such as fillings, root canals, and extractions. |
| Band 3 | £332.10 | 12 UDAs | Covers everything in Band 1 and 2 plus treatments that include laboratory work. |
| Urgent | £27.90 | £75 ÷ UDA value | Emergency care only — limited to what is necessary to relieve pain or address urgent issues. |
| Free (charge exempt) | £0 | Per item | No dental charge for a course of only these items. A prescription charge may apply at the pharmacy. |
Who is exempt from NHS dental charges?
- Under 18 (or under 19 in qualifying full-time education)
- Pregnant or had a baby in the previous 12 months
- Receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Receiving income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Receiving Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Receiving Universal Credit and meet the criteria
- Named on a valid NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
- Named on a valid HC2 certificate (full help)
- Treated in an NHS hospital by a hospital dentist (dentures and bridges may still be charged)
- War pensioner (for war disablement treatment)
An HC3 certificate (NHS Low Income Scheme) is partial help, not an exemption: it shows how much the patient pays.
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<p style="font:12px/1.4 sans-serif;margin:4px 0 0"><a href="https://nosht.io/tools/nhs-uda-calculator/">NHS UDA & band calculator</a> by Nosht</p>Frequently asked questions
How are NHS dental charges banded in England?
NHS dental treatment in England is grouped into three patient-charge bands plus an urgent band. Band 1 covers examination, diagnosis and prevention. Band 2 adds further treatment such as fillings, root canals and extractions. Band 3 adds laboratory work such as crowns, bridges and dentures. The whole course of treatment is charged at the highest band it includes.
What are the NHS dental charges for 2026?
From 1 April 2026 the NHS England patient charges are £27.90 for Band 1, £76.60 for Band 2 and £332.10 for Band 3. Urgent treatment is also £27.90. A course made up only of charge-exempt items (issuing a prescription, repairing a denture or bridge, removing sutures or stopping bleeding) has no dental charge. These figures change annually — always verify the current charge on the NHS website before quoting a patient.
What is a UDA and how does it relate to the band?
A UDA (Unit of Dental Activity) is the contract currency NHS England uses to measure and pay for NHS dental work — it is separate from the patient charge. From 1 April 2026 the values are 1 UDA for Band 1 (0.5 for a course of standalone fluoride varnish only) and 12 UDAs for Band 3. Band 2 is 3 UDAs (2a), 5 UDAs (2b: fillings, extractions or fissure sealants on three or more teeth, or non-molar root canal treatment) or 7 UDAs (2c: molar root canal treatment); the patient charge is the same across all three. An urgent course is worth £75 divided by the contract's UDA value, rounded up to two decimal places (SI 2026/265).
Does the highest band always win?
Yes. A course of treatment is charged at the highest band it contains. If a patient needs a scale and polish (Band 1) and a filling (Band 2) in the same course, the whole course is Band 2 — the patient pays one Band 2 charge, not one for each item. The exception is an urgent course (treatment needed within 7 days): urgent items such as extraction of up to 2 teeth or one urgent filling are one £27.90 urgent charge, not Band 2.
Who is exempt from NHS dental charges?
Common exemptions include being under 18 (or under 19 in qualifying full-time education), being pregnant or having had a baby in the previous 12 months, and receiving certain income-related benefits such as Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit or qualifying Universal Credit. Patients should always confirm their entitlement, as charges may be recovered if a claim is incorrect.
Is this calculator a substitute for official NHS guidance?
No. This tool organises the published NHS England band rules for reference only. It is not clinical or financial advice and does not cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, which use different charging structures. Always confirm the current charge, band and UDA value against official NHS sources.
References
Document the treatment that justifies the band
Nosht produces the structured, GDC & FGDP(UK)-aligned clinical note an NHS contract audit expects to see — one click to copy into any practice management system. No patient identifiers in clinical notes (referral letters and leaflet sending excepted).
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