Dental insurance – protecting that smile!

Over recent decades, our society has placed ever more emphasis on dental hygiene and appearance. The sparkly and blemish-free smile is becoming more and more important – but smiling isn’t going to come naturally when you’re facing a typical dentist’s bill! That’s where dental insurance may be able to help.

Controversy

For many years, the expense of dental treatment in the UK has been controversial with NHS dental services now being difficult to obtain in many areas.

Whatever your view, few people would argue that dental treatment can now be very expensive. Even basic check-ups can be costly and if significant work is required, you may be facing pain in your wallet that’s almost as bad as the problems with your teeth.

Dental insurance

Fortunately, it is possible to purchase private dental cover insurance for individuals or as a group scheme and there are various forms of policy that can help.

They vary by provider but typically come into one of two categories:

• dental cover where the policy provider will typically settle the dentist’s bills (in full or part) through reimbursement to you or direct payment to the dentist;
• cash plans – a form of insurance where the policy will pay out cash to you for use on medical treatment as you need it whether dental or other.
  
  These plans will come with a ceiling for pay out limits. They may either pay a percentage of the costs or the full 100%, depending on your provider. There are also group schemes available an employer may offer dental health cover as part of an employee benefits package. These schemes may typically be highly cost-competitive when compared to private dental cover. Corporate schemes may in some cases also be immediately useable whereas private policies may have a qualification period whereby no claims will be met within the first 6-12 months after inception.

Categories of cover

As with all insurance, dental cover will vary between insurance companies in terms of what it provides and what conditions are applicable. It is always a good idea to check the details carefully before making a decision as to which policy is suitable.

Some policies may differentiate between routine and non-routine treatment. Some may exclude serious conditions requiring dental surgery etc.

Whether you are an individual looking to minimise your dental costs, or a business looking for corporate dental cover, dental insurance may prove to be surprisingly affordable.