Can I Get False Teeth on the NHS? Costs and Process

Yes. If you are asking “can I get false teeth on NHS care?”, dentures are available from NHS dentists in England as a Band 3 treatment, which NHS England currently lists at £332.10, and some people qualify to pay nothing.

The bigger questions are usually practical ones: what the process involves, what that single charge actually covers, how long you might wait for the finished dentures and what happens if they need repairing later. This guide works through those points in the order you are likely to meet them.

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Which types of false teeth can you get on the NHS?

The NHS describes two main types:

• Complete dentures, which replace all of your upper or lower teeth.
• Partial dentures, which replace one or more missing teeth. Some types clip onto your remaining natural teeth.

The NHS band guide lists both plastic and metal dentures under Band 3. It also notes that private care offers a wider choice of materials, so if you want something specific it is worth asking your dentist what is available on each route.

How much do NHS dentures cost?

NHS dental charges in England are set in three bands. Dentures fall into the highest one, and the charge covers the full course of treatment rather than each visit.

The NHS explains that if you need treatments from different bands in one course of treatment, you pay only the charge for the highest band. So if you need fillings and an extraction before your dentures, you still pay the Band 3 charge once. Repairs to dentures are free, but you pay for new ones if a repair isn’t possible.

Who gets NHS dentures free?

According to the NHS, treatment is free if, when it starts, you are:

• under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education
• pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months, or had a stillbirth in the past 12 months
• receiving, or the partner of someone receiving, certain benefits such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance

If you are on a low income but do not qualify automatically, the NHS Low Income Scheme may help with part of the cost. Note that the NHS does not list being over a certain age, on its own, as a reason for free treatment. If you are treated by a hospital dentist in an NHS hospital, the treatment is free, but the NHS notes you may still need to pay for dentures or bridges.

What happens when you get NHS false teeth?

1. Assessment. An NHS dentist examines your mouth and decides whether dentures are the best option for you.
2. Measuring. The dentist takes an impression of your mouth with putty or a scan.
3. Making the dentures. The NHS says this usually takes a few weeks.
4. Fitting. You return to have them fitted and checked.
5. Adjusting. The NHS says it can take a few weeks to get used to wearing dentures. Starting with softer foods and practising putting them in and taking them out can help.

If teeth need to come out first, you may be offered immediate dentures, which the NHS says can be made within a few days. Because your mouth changes as it heals, these often need adjusting or replacing within a year.

How do you look after NHS dentures?

The NHS gives clear daily care advice:

• Brush your dentures with soft soap or washing-up liquid morning and evening, over a sink of water or a towel in case you drop them.
• Do not clean them with toothpaste, which the NHS says could damage them.
• Take them out at night and keep them in water, a damp cotton wool bag, a denture-cleaning solution or a denture bath, unless your dentist advises otherwise.
• Keep brushing your gums, tongue and any natural teeth with fluoride toothpaste.

See your dentist if your dentures click when you talk, slip, hurt, or look worn or damaged. Take any broken pieces with you so the dentist can check whether a repair is possible.

Are there alternatives to NHS dentures?

Bridges are also a Band 3 NHS treatment. Dental implants, which can support crowns or some types of dentures, are usually only available privately; the NHS says they are sometimes provided for patients who cannot wear dentures for certain reasons. We compare the options in dental implants vs dentures, and our explainer on NHS dental bands covers the charge system in more depth.

How do you prove you qualify, or get help with part of the cost?

The NHS says you need to show your dentist proof if you are getting free treatment. Depending on the reason, that can be a valid HC2 certificate (for people on a low income), your birth certificate, a maternity exemption certificate, a MatB1 maternity certificate, your baby’s birth certificate or notification of birth form, or a stillbirth certificate.

If you are on a low income but not entitled to free treatment, the NHS Low Income Scheme may pay part of the cost. People helped by the scheme receive an HC3 certificate, which shows how much they have to pay, and you show it to your dentist. Applications go through the NHS Business Services Authority.

Two further points are easy to miss. If you or your partner receive a benefit that entitles you to free NHS dental treatment, your dependants under 20 can also get free treatment. And if you have already paid for NHS treatment and later find out you were entitled to free or reduced-cost care, you may be able to claim a refund through the NHS Business Services Authority. Free or reduced-cost help applies only to NHS treatment; anything you choose to have privately, such as a denture material that is not offered on the NHS, is paid for in full.

Sources

• NHS, Dentures (false teeth)
• NHS, What is included in each NHS dental band charge?
• NHS, Understanding NHS dental charges
• NHS, Who can get free NHS dental treatment or help with dental costs
• NHS, Dental treatments

This article is general information and is not a substitute for advice from your own dentist.