A health expert has warned that a common health condition is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Healthcare experts have spoken about potentially making changes to NHS pricing for services. While many aspects of NHS care are free at the point of delivery, you do have to pay for some treatment.

This includes NHS prescriptions, which cost £9.90 per item in England, although some groups are exempt from paying for their medication. NHS prescriptions are universally free in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Another common NHS health service that many people pay for is dental care.

Ash Shah, managing director of healthcare products distributor World Products, said there is an "obvious" case for making some aspects of dental care free or at least reducing the cost for patients. He said: "It makes no sense to separate oral health from general health when the evidence is clear that poor dental health links to heart disease, diabetes and infections.

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"By charging people for dental care, we are again pushing problems downstream until they become emergencies. That is the most expensive way to run a health system. At the very least, preventative services should be free or heavily subsidised: dentistry, basic eye care, and long-term condition reviews. Prevention is always cheaper than treatment."

If you pay for your NHS dental treatment, the treatments are grouped into three bands. In Band 1, the charge is £27.40 for a routine check-up and advice. This can include getting an X-ray and putting fluoride on the surface of your teeth. You can also get some simple treatment for gum disease, such as scaling. Other treatments covered by this band include getting moulds of your teeth or small adjustments to dentures or orthodontic appliances, such as braces.

Moving up to Band 2, the cost is £75.30. This covers any treatments in Band 1 but also more extensive work. This includes having a filling, root canal treatment, removing teeth or adding a sealant to fix a hole or groove in your teeth. This price also covers more thorough work to treat gum disease, adding to your dentures or a bite-raising appliance to correct your bite.

Band 3 covers all treatments from Band 1 and Band 2. The cost more than triples to £326.70, and includes a cap that covers your whole tooth, such as a crown. This band also covers restoring damaged teeth with inlays or onlays, fitting dentures made from plastic or metal, a bridge or orthodontic treatment, such as braces.

Guidance on the NHS website states that the dentist "should tell you how much it will cost before they start any treatment". The information states: "If you need a mix of treatments from different bands, you’ll pay for the cost of the highest band of treatment you’re having. If you need a mix of treatments from the same band, you’ll only pay the band charge once."