The NHS will provide any clinically necessary treatment needed to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain. Decisions about which treatment is appropriate will be based on a clinical assessment and clinical judgement.
Your dentist must make clear which treatments can be provided on the NHS and which can only be provided on a private basis, and the costs associated for each.
If you decide to choose alternative private options, this should be included in your treatment plan. You'll be asked to sign the plan and be given a copy to keep.
Ask the dentist to explain in more detail the reason behind the treatment options being proposed. You should feel properly informed before any treatment is undertaken, including about the clinical risks and benefits.
Your dentist has to provide you with a written treatment plan for Band 2, Band 3 or a mix of NHS and private treatments. Your treatment plan sets out the proposed dental treatment and associated costs. Treatment plans are usually not given for Band 1 or urgent dental treatments, but you can ask for one if you like.
Inform your dentist if you decide not to proceed with a certain treatment option. Likewise, the dentist should inform you of any changes to the treatment plan. Sometimes a proposed treatment can change on further investigation or as a result of changes in your oral health after the initial assessment. Any changes to treatment should be discussed and agreed with you.
Complaints
If you're not happy with the treatment or service you've had, it's usually best to tell the practice directly that you're unhappy and give them a chance to put things right. They may be able to sort out the problem there and then.
If you need to make a more formal complaint to the practice, ask for a copy of the policy that explains what you need to do.
If you'd like support to make a complaint, you can get help from an NHS Complaints Advocate. Contact your local Healthwatch to find out who provides Independent Health Complaints Advocacy in your local area.
If you'd rather not go directly to the practice, you can contact NHS England instead. NHS England is responsible for commissioning (buying) NHS dental services.
If you're not happy with the way your formal complaint was handled – either by the dental practice or NHS England, if you chose to go to them – you can go to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The Ombudsman makes the final decision on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England.
Find out more about the NHS complaints procedure.
Complaints about private dental treatments
If you had private dental treatment and an informal approach doesn't solve the problem, ask for a copy of the complaints procedure. Any private dental practice must have one.
If you've already made a formal approach to the practice and the problem has not been resolved, you can contact the Dental Complaints Service (DCS).
The DCS provides a free and impartial service to help private dental patients and dental professionals settle complaints about private dental care fairly and efficiently.
Safety concerns about a dentist or practice
If the problem is so serious that you think the dental professional could be a risk to other patients, you should contact the General Dental Council (GDC), which regulates dental professionals in the UK.
If the issue is serious enough, the GDC can stop individual dentists from practising. The GDC does not get involved in complaints being managed locally. It does not resolve complaints or award compensation.
If the problem is so serious that you think the care provided at the practice could be a risk to other patients, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) would like to know about it.
The CQC cannot investigate individual complaints, but its inspectors use this information when they inspect services to make sure they're meeting quality and safety standards
Common dental treatments available on the NHS
