Last year, 212,143 penalty charge notices were issued for patients ineligible for free dental treatment, a rise of more than 40% compared to two years earlier, Cambridgeshire Live has reported.
The figures were supplied by the NHS Business Services Authority following a Freedom of Information request, which also revealed that 148,405 penalty charge notices were issued in 2023 and 189,757 in 2024.
Almost half of the UK population is eligible for free NHS dental treatment based on age, health status and eligibility for certain means-tested benefits.
Dr Andrej Bozic, an oral surgeon at private clinic Dentum, said: "If you are entitled to free NHS dental treatment you will be asked to show proof of eligibility and sign a document. It's so important that you are clear on what you are, and aren't, entitled to because incorrect claims, even if they are made by mistake, can result in fines of £100.
"It's extremely concerning to see more than 200,000 fines last year for people incorrectly claiming for free treatment they are not entitled to. There is clearly an element of some people not understanding the complex eligibility criteria."