NHS vs private dentistry · Birmingham
NHS or private? The honest answer, from a practice that does both.
Same dentists. Same standards. A very different amount of time, choice and cost. Here is what actually separates NHS and private dental care in the UK — and how to choose without being sold to.
The short answer
What is the difference between an NHS and a private dentist?
NHS dentistry and private dentistry are delivered to the same clinical and safety standards by the same registered dentists. The differences are scope, time and choice: NHS care covers what is clinically necessary within three fixed national charge bands, while private care buys longer appointments, a full choice of materials, and treatments the NHS does not fund at all — implants, clear aligners, whitening and cosmetic work. At Cadbury Dental in Bournville, Birmingham, most patients use a mix of both.
Line by line
Where NHS and private genuinely diverge
What it covers
The NHS funds health, not preference. Anything cosmetic sits outside it by design.
The NHS funds health, not preference. Anything cosmetic sits outside it by design.
NHS
Private / plan
What you pay
NHS band charges are identical in every practice in England — they are set by government, not by us.
NHS band charges are identical in every practice in England — they are set by government, not by us.
NHS
Private / plan
Appointment length
Time is the quiet difference patients notice first — space to ask questions and be shown what we can see.
Time is the quiet difference patients notice first — space to ask questions and be shown what we can see.
NHS
Private / plan
Materials
On the NHS, back teeth are commonly restored with metal amalgam. Privately you choose.
On the NHS, back teeth are commonly restored with metal amalgam. Privately you choose.
NHS
Private / plan
Hygiene appointments
Regular hygiene is the single most cost-effective dentistry there is.
Regular hygiene is the single most cost-effective dentistry there is.
NHS
Private / plan
Implants, aligners, whitening
Rarely or never NHS-funded. Available privately at Cadbury Dental.
Rarely or never NHS-funded. Available privately at Cadbury Dental.
NHS
Private / plan
Availability
Please call for our current NHS position — it changes with capacity.
Please call for our current NHS position — it changes with capacity.
NHS
Private / plan
The national picture
Why the UK is quietly moving private
It is worth saying plainly: this shift is about access and expectation, not about NHS dentists doing worse work. Four things are driving it.
Access, not quality
The move towards private care across the UK is driven by how hard NHS appointments have become to find — not by any gap in the standard of NHS clinical care.
Expectations have changed
Aligners, whitening and bonding are now everyday requests. None of them are NHS treatments, so patients wanting them are private by definition.
Prevention beats repair
Private and plan patients are seen more regularly by a hygienist, which is how you avoid the expensive end of dentistry altogether.
Predictable cost
A monthly plan turns dentistry into a known number instead of an unpleasant surprise at reception.
The money, plainly
What each route actually costs
NHS band charges are set nationally and are identical in every English practice. Our plan and private fees are published and confirmed in writing before anything starts.
NHS charge bands
Band 1
Examination, assessment and advice.
£27.40
Band 2
Everything in Band 1, plus further treatment.
£75.30
Band 3
Everything in Bands 1 and 2, plus lab work.
£326.70
Set by the NHS, not by the practice. Some patients are exempt from charges.
Most popular
Cadbury Dental Care Plan
£15.95per month
£191.40 a year versus £308.00 paying visit by visit — a saving of about £116.00.
- 2 dental health examinations per year
- 2 hygiene appointments per year
- Bitewing X-rays included
- Free emergency appointments
- Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme
Why Cadbury Dental
A Bournville practice that has been doing this since 1905
We provide NHS care, private care and our own practice plan from the same building on 29 Sycamore Road, Bournville. Because we are not tied to one route, we have no reason to push you down the wrong one.
- If you only need a check-up and a filling, NHS care is excellent value and we will say so.
- If you want your teeth straightened, whitened or rebuilt, that is private work everywhere in the UK — including here.
- You can mix the two. Plenty of our patients do, and it is completely legitimate.
5,000+
Invisalign cases treated — Diamond Plus provider
Straumann
Implant partner practice, Swiss-made systems
120+ yrs
Continuous dentistry in Bournville
£15.95
A month for check-ups, hygiene and emergencies
Questions we get asked
NHS vs private, answered
Still unsure? Call 0121 348 8800 and ask for Rae — she will tell you which route makes sense before you commit to anything.
Not clinically. The same GDC-registered dentists work to the same standards under both. Private care gives you longer appointments, a full choice of materials, and access to treatments the NHS does not fund such as implants, clear aligners and whitening.
NHS charges are set nationally: Band 1 is £27.40 for examination and advice, Band 2 is £75.30 for fillings, root canals and extractions, and Band 3 is £326.70 for crowns, dentures and bridges. The charge is the same at every NHS practice in England.
Mostly access. NHS dental capacity is limited across much of the UK, so patients who cannot get an appointment — or who want cosmetic treatment the NHS does not fund — move to private or plan-based care.
Yes. Mixing NHS and private treatment is common and entirely legitimate, as long as each item is clearly explained and agreed with you in advance.
At Cadbury Dental the plan is £15.95 a month (£191.40 a year) and covers two examinations, two hygiene appointments, bitewing X-rays and free emergency appointments. The same care paid for visit by visit is £308.00, so the plan saves around £116.00 a year.
Our NHS availability changes with capacity. Please call 0121 348 8800 for today's position — private and plan routes are always open.
Pain control is the same either way. What private time buys is a calmer, unhurried appointment, which for nervous patients often matters more than the treatment itself.
NHS, private or plan · Bournville, Birmingham