Missing Back Teeth Replacement NHS

When considering your missing back teeth replacement on the NHS, there are two things to be aware about. Firstly, a decision has to be made if the teeth that are missing should be replaced or not. A dentist may decide to not replace missing back teeth on the NHS as they are not causing any detriment to your oral health. The dental NHS service only requires treatment to be formed that is clinically necessary.

Aesthetic reasons are not considered clinically necessary to secure and maintain oral health so you can’t say that the missing back teeth are affecting you smiling because of appearance.

If it is decided that yes, the missing back teeth should be replaced, a dentist can choose whatever the means to replace the back teeth. This usually means having dentures and in a few cases fixed teeth in terms of a dental bridge. Dental implants are not viable to be provided on the NHS unless in very few exceptional circumstances where a dental hospital may decide otherwise. Plastic acrylic dentures are the most cost effective methods used under the NHS.

Dentures come under a band three treatment which currently costs £269.30 . In addition, any adjustments required thereafter may carry a further band one charge of £22.70.

The choice of denture lies under the dentist’s discretion and they will usually be a plastic acrylic denture. You can have better dentures such as cobalt chrome dentures, Flexite or Valplast but these will have to be provided privately.

In conclusion, only if you have several missing back teeth which are causing detriment to your oral condition then will you be able to have anything done on the NHS. Even if it is decided that something should be done, the exact choice of treatment is left to the dentist under current NHS regulations which stipulate that only treatment which is clinically necessary in order to secure oral health is available on the NHS.