NHS or Private Care?
What the NHS covers and what you'll pay towards it, what you get by going private, how to blend the two, and how to register for NHS care at our practice in Lanark.
Is NHS or Private Dental Care the Better Choice in Scotland?
Neither is clinically better; both are held to the same standard. The Scottish NHS funds the care your mouth genuinely needs. Examinations are free for everyone, treatment is free for under-26s, and other adults pay 80% of the fee, up to £384 for a course. Going private buys more time, a wider choice of materials and treatments the NHS won't pay for, such as implants and Invisalign. Our Lanark practice is taking new NHS and private patients, and many people combine the two.
The Two Compared
| Feature | NHS | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | A healthy mouth that works and is comfortable | Health comes first, with room for looks, comfort and choice |
| Examination | Costs nothing in Scotland, at any age | £70 for a new patient, X-rays included |
| What treatment costs | National fees; most adults pay 80%, capped at £384 per course | Practice fees, agreed with you in writing beforehand |
| Choice of materials | Whatever is clinically needed | More options, for example tooth-coloured fillings at the back and ceramic crowns |
| Implants, Invisalign, cosmetic treatment | Not paid for | On offer |
| Hygienist | When your gums need it for health reasons | Whenever you'd like, including Airflow |
Clinically, the bar is the same on both sides. Paying privately doesn't get you better dentistry. What it gets you is more time, more choice and treatments that NHS dentistry was never designed to fund.
What's Covered on the NHS
In Scotland, NHS dentistry funds whatever is clinically needed to keep your mouth sound and healthy. That includes examinations and X-rays, scaling when your gums call for it, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions, crowns and dentures.
Fees for each NHS item are set by the Scottish Government, so the charge is identical at every practice in the country, and your dentist has to tell you what you'll pay before starting. Treatment done mostly for appearance isn't covered. Whitening, composite bonding, veneers, Invisalign and implants are private at every practice. A back-tooth filling is funded by the NHS, but asking for it in tooth-coloured composite rather than amalgam is normally a private extra.
NHS, Private or a Bit of Both?
Request a call back and we'll explain what each would mean for you.
What You Pay on the NHS
| If you are | You pay |
|---|---|
| Anyone, of any age | Nothing for your examination |
| Younger than 26 | Nothing for your treatment |
| Expecting a baby, or a mum whose baby is under one | Nothing for your treatment |
| Getting a qualifying benefit, or named on an HC2 certificate | Nothing for your treatment |
| Named on an HC3 certificate | Part of the charge |
| Any other adult | 80% of the national fee, to a maximum of £384 for each course |
A course of treatment is all the work planned after a single examination, and the £384 cap applies to that whole course rather than to each visit. The NHS Low Income Scheme issues the HC2 and HC3 certificates. If you believe you're exempt, bring proof, such as your latest award letter or the certificate itself, and we'll check it with you before treatment.
What Going Private Adds
- Longer appointments. Time to talk through your options, plan carefully and never feel hurried.
- More choice of materials. White fillings on back teeth, plus ceramic crowns and onlays designed from a digital iTero scan rather than a mouthful of putty.
- Hygiene visits with Airflow, with our hygienist, Fiona Dyer, as often as suits you, whether or not your gums are causing trouble.
- Cosmetic treatment, such as whitening, composite bonding and porcelain veneers, planned by your dentist.
- Dental implants with Dr Kalsi, who plans them on our own CT scanner, and Invisalign with Dr Kalsi or Dr Gray.
- One agreed fee in writing before treatment begins, and 10% off most private treatment on a dental plan.
Private Fees at Our Practice
| Private appointment or treatment | Fee |
|---|---|
| First examination as a new patient, with X-rays | £70 |
| Examination for an existing patient | £70 |
| Half an hour with the hygienist | £70, rising to £100 with Airflow |
| Single-surface white filling, starting at | £105 |
| Same-day emergency appointment | £85 |
| Monthly dental plans | Plan A at £24.10, Plan B at £40.16 |
All of these are guide prices. 1 For the same essential treatment, a private fee usually comes out higher than the NHS charge, as it covers longer appointments, lab costs and materials. The rest of our fees are in the private dentist cost guide.
Combining the Two
There's no rule that says everything has to be one or the other. Plenty of people keep their dental examinations and essential treatment on the NHS and go private for one or two particular things: whitening ahead of a big occasion, bonding to repair a chipped front tooth, a white filling on a molar, an implant to fill a gap, or extra Airflow cleans between NHS appointments.
For every item, your dentist gives you the NHS route, where there is one, and the private route, each with a price, and the decision is yours. Paying privately for one tooth leaves the rest of your care on the NHS. And if your NHS dentist is elsewhere, you can still come to us privately for implants or Invisalign without a referral, while they carry on seeing you for your examinations.
NHS Places at Our Lanark Practice
Our current position: We're taking on new NHS patients, adults and children, as well as private patients. NHS dental care locally is the responsibility of NHS Lanarkshire.
That means adults and children can both register now. Fill in our call back form, choosing NHS place from the menu, and we'll phone you to arrange a first examination. Scotland has no catchment for NHS dentistry, so families from Carluke, Carstairs, Lesmahagow, Biggar and the rest of Clydesdale are welcome as well as those in the town. Our NHS dentistry page has more detail.
Moving Your NHS Registration
In Scotland you can be registered with only one NHS practice at a time, and that registration lasts until you or the practice end it. If you've struggled to get an appointment where you are, or simply want a practice nearer home, signing up with us moves your NHS registration across to Lanark.
If you're in pain and not yet registered anywhere, you can still be seen. Our guide to finding an NHS dentist in Lanark explains how to register, what to do about toothache in the meantime and how to reach NHS 24 when we're closed.
Making the Choice
- The NHS suits you if you mostly need essential care at fixed national charges, you're under 26, pregnant or otherwise exempt, or you're signing up a child.
- Private suits you if you'd like longer appointments, a say in materials, regular Airflow cleans, or a treatment the NHS won't fund.
- A blend suits you if NHS care covers most of what you need but there's one thing you'd like done differently.
Still not sure? Ask. We'll lay out the NHS and private options for whatever you need, price each one, and let you decide. Nobody here will steer you towards private treatment you haven't asked for.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.