Dentistry and oral health

Overview

NHS dentistry in Fife provides routine and emergency dental care.

The costs for NHS dental treatment are subsidised by the Scottish Government, with set charges for specific treatments. However, some people, like children, pregnant women, and those on certain benefits, may qualify for free dental care.

NHS dentistry is also provided in primary schools, care homes, and other specialist sites.

Changes to NHS Dentistry services | NHS Fife

Receiving dental treatment in Scotland | NHS Inform

Dental Practices

Most dental care in Fife is provided through local practices.

Fife currently has 53 dental practices and 5 orthodontic practices.

These practices provide a wide range of services to patients of all ages. These typically include:

• General care: check-ups, cleanings, fillings, and extractions
• Preventative care: oral health advice and cleanings
• Treatments: options like fillings, extractions, and root canals
• Specialties: services like orthodontics (braces), periodontics (gum disease), and children's dentistry

Registering with a dental practice, where possible, will help you manage your ongoing dental care. Not all practices are currently accepting new patients and it is important to keep your appointments and stay on top of your fees if you are registered.

If you are unable to get registered with a local practice, you can access urgent emergency care via NHS Fife Public Dental Service.

Most dentists are independent contractors and own their businesses. This means they undertake private treatments in addition to providing NHS services. Some companies, or dental body corporates as they are sometimes referred to, run several practices. 

Unlike General Medical Services, NHS Fife does not have a statutory requirement to provide NHS dentistry.

Registering with a dentist and what happens if you can’t

Due to well-publicised challenges, few practices in Fife are registering new NHS dental patients and many have long waiting lists.

NHS Fife’s Dental Advice provides the latest information on which practices are currently accepting new patients. You can contact the advice line on 01592 226 555 or by emailing fife.dentaladviceline@nhs.scot. The service is open Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5pm.

If you are unable to register with a dental practice and you require urgent care, you can access it through the Public Dental Service (PDS). The PDS also offers more specialised dental care and provides extra services that focus on patients with additional needs.

Public Dental Service

NHS Fife’s Public Dental Service (PDS) offers services for anxious patients, including sedation and general anaesthetics. It often assists patients who are restricted to their homes or hospitalised.

The PDS works in partnership with both local dental practices and hospital based dental services.

It carries out school dental inspections as part of the National Dental Inspection Programme.

Its oral health improvement team also work with other organisations to deliver the national oral health improvement programmes for vulnerable groups, as well as leading on local initiatives.

Referrals

Patients are referred to the public dental service from local dental practices for care that requires expertise, equipment, accommodation, or services that are not readily available or economical in traditional high street practices.

These treatments include referrals for paediatric, surgical specialist, anxious adult, and bariatric services.

In addition, the PDS has fully accessible premises with specialised equipment to assist those with additional needs.

Children

The PDS provides specialist dental services for children who have been referred for specialist care that is often not available at a local dental practice. Instances where children may require referral to public dental services include:

• extensive untreated tooth decay who are particularly anxious
• physical or learning disabilities or certain medical conditions
• children referred for treatment requiring sedation or general anaesthetic

Emergency dental services

If you have a dental emergency and are registered with a dental practice, you should contact them during working hours.

If you are not registered with a dentist, you should contact the dental advice line on 01592 226 555 and you will be given an appointment, if required.

Outside working hours, if you feel that you have an urgent dental need that cannot wait, you should call NHS24 on 111, regardless of whether you are registered with a dentist.

Dental emergencies need to be assessed and treated quickly to avoid the risk of permanent damage. They include:

• abscesses and swellings in and around the mouth
• bleeding
• trauma – for example knocking out a tooth.

Cost of NHS treatments

NHS patients do not pay a regular fee or retainer to their dentist. There is also no charge for an examination.

If you are registered with a dentist providing NHS dental care, your practice will discuss your treatment plan and costs with you before any work is carried out.

If you want cosmetic dental treatment, like white fillings on back teeth, you will need to pay for it privately.

If your dentist offers private treatment, they should:

• tell you how much any treatment costs
• explain your treatment options (including what you can have done on the NHS)
• get your agreement to any treatments

NHS Inform also has a range of useful information on looking after your oral health.

Free NHS treatment

You can ask your dentist how much your treatment costs before it begins.

Most adults over the age of 18 years old have to pay for their dental care.  You get free treatment if you:

• are pregnant
• have a baby aged under 12 months
• get income support or other specific benefits (You will need to show proof of this)

You may also get help with your health costs if you're on a low income.

Find out more detailed information about help with health costs.

Local dental challenges

At our 23/24 Annual Review we acknowledged the significant challenges facing NHS dentistry in Fife, which are mirrored across the UK.

Patients in Fife, like those elsewhere in the country, are seeing challenges when seeking to register for NHS dental care at local practices.

Around 84% of people in Fife are registered for NHS dental care and treatment. This is compared to 94.5% in Scotland.

Recruitment and retention of dentists remains one of the biggest challenges. Recent figures showed there are approximately 230 dentists registered with primary care to deliver NHS dentistry in NHS Fife, compared to 257 in 2019/2020.

We are actively collaborating with various stakeholders, including practices and Scottish Government, to try and address these issues.

One recent measure has been our successful application to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) to include Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, and Dunfermline. SDAI provides grants to support NHS dental provision in areas where access to general dental services is low. These grants incentivise new practices and dentist retention through significant payments.