Dental insurance explained
How dental insurance works
With most dental insurance policies you pay your dentist for any treatment received and then claim the money back from the insurer.
Dental insurance policies cover maintenance such as check-ups, scale and polish, and X-rays as well as treatments such as fillings, root canals and crowns at NHS practices, private clinics, or sometimes both. Cosmetic dental work, such as teeth whitening, is generally excluded.
Private vs NHS dental insurance
Before buying dental insurance, check if you have a local NHS dentist (the NHS has an online dentist finder tool for England).
Some dental insurance policies only cover you for NHS dentists but others cover some private treatment, too.
NHS-only policies tend to be cheaper, and have other advantages.
Most NHS-only dental insurance policies will pay out an unlimited amount towards treatment on the NHS over a policy year.
All of the private policies we looked at set maximum benefit levels for check-ups, scale and polish/hygienist visits and treatment and most also set caps on the percentage that they would pay towards it.
- Find out more: the cost of different dental treatments explained
Do you really need dental insurance?
Dental insurance may seem like a good investment, but it's worth weighing up the pros and cons against how often you visit the dentist each year, whether you visit a NHS or private clinic, and your overall oral health.
The average household spends around £140 a year on medical, optical and dental services, according to the Office for National Statistics - less than the annual premium of many dental insurance policies.
Pros
Cons
Dental insurance policies compared
These tables show the starting annual premium for dental insurance policies covering maintenance and treatment for a 60-year-old.
Policies are arranged alphabetically - not by premium or the quality of cover. Check 'more info' to see what the maximum proportion of the dental cost can be claimed under the plans for different types of treatment.
NHS clinics only
Axa PPP | Core cover | £119.58 | No limit | 1 month | No limit | 1 month | £200 |
Boots | Core plan | £137.64 | £500 | 3 months | £500 | 3 months | £500 |
Bupa | Dental Cover 10 | £168.85 | Local NHS limits | Immediately | Local NHS limits | 4 months | Not covered |
Dencover | NHS | £84.00 | £23.80 | Immediately | £130.40 | 60 days | £425 |
WPA | Level 1 | £167.34 | No limit | 30 days | No limit | 30 days | £250 |
Alternatives to dental insurance
Dental insurance isn't necessarily the cheapest way to pay for dentistry work.
Self-insuring
Rather than pay an annual premium to an insurer, why not pay the same amount into a savings account?
The benefit with this option is that unused money remains yours - and the less you draw on it, the bigger your reserve fund becomes for emergencies.
The downside, of course, is that your capacity to pay for treatment entirely depends on your savings - which could be heavily depleted if you need to pay for treatment early or need multiple procedures carried out in a short space of time.
Paying by credit card
You can spread out the cost of major dental treatments by more than 20 months by paying with a 0% interest purchase credit card.
Bear in mind that you'll still have to make minimum repayments every month.
Dental plans
With a dental payment plan, you pay a regular monthly amount instead of settling the bill after a treatment.
Health cash plans
Health cash plans cost less than many insurance policies. You pay a premium to receive a cash sum for treatment. This may not cover the total bill, but it reduces it to a more manageable amount.
Private health insurance
Many private health insurance policies also cover dental treatment, although premiums can be high.
- Find out more: See our complete guide to health insurance.
What is a dental plan?
If you want to spread the cost of going to the dentist, but don't think dental insurance or using the NHS pay-as-you-go system is right for you, a dental plan might be the best option.
With a dental payment plan, you pay a regular monthly amount instead of settling the bill after a treatment. This can be an effective way to spread the costs if you're likely to require a lot of treatment, and means that you'll know in advance how much it's likely to cost.
Fans of these schemes say dentists can devote more time to patients, while critics say patients are pressured into signing up because dentists are keen to boost their potentially more rewarding private practices.
Maintenance plans and comprehensive capitation plans are available. They cover different types of treatment and have different pricing structures.
Mandatory insurance is often included for dental accident and emergency, oral cancer and hospital benefits.
Maintenance plan
These plans are offered by Denplan, DPAS or Practice Plan and are designed to provide preventive care. They can cover maintenance, and accident and emergency insurance.
You can typically expect to be covered for two examinations and two oral hygiene visits with X-rays per year. Because you're paying the dentist directly on a monthly basis, there's no standardised cost and price can differ widely between individual practices.
Capitation plan
These usually offer unlimited treatment including examination, hygienist, X-rays, fillings, crowns, bridge, root canal and extraction.
These plans offer more comprehensive cover than a maintenance plan so you can expect to pay more each month. The actual fee you pay is based on your oral health and dental history.
An initial joining fee might be included, while some dentists insist on examinations and may require you to have treatment before providing quotes.
Looking for more information on insurance? See some of our guides below: