Open your wallet for dental fees

THE cost of a routine check-up at an NHS dentist is likely to double.

It is expected to rise from £6 to £12 and the price of a filling from £17.64 to £40. It follows a review by the Government's patients' tsar Harry Cayton, which is to be published this week.

He wants to simplify the pricing structure for NHS patients who currently face a bewildering number of charges for different types of dental work.

Instead, there will be just three flat prices depending on the difficulty of the treatment. It is also hoped the shake-up will reduce the number of NHS dentists going private because of the bureaucracy created by the current complex pricing system.

But with a scale and polish rising to £40, it means that a NHS patient having a check-up, scale and polish and a single filling will face a bill for almost £100.

However, healthy adults are to be advised that they need only see a dentist every two years. Rosie Winterton, health minister responsible for dentistry, received Mr Cayton's report in March 2004 and has been ' considering its implications'.

Andrew Lansley, shadow health secretary, said Labour had delayed publication 'so as not to expose their plans for increased charges during the election campaign'.