Most people place a high value on the health of their teeth, not only in terms of pain prevention but as vital part of their self confidence when they smile. Dental treatment can be expensive and, with fewer and fewer dentists willing to take on new NHS patients it has become common for patients to pay for private treatment.
Even with treatment from an NHS dentist there are often still costs to pay and long waiting times to be seen for routine work.
With a dental insurance plan the dental bills can be covered which can be especially welcome for unexpected treatment that you haven't budgeted for.
Dental insurance is much more straight forward and clear than full medical insurance and is much easier to obtain as it doesn't rely on a full medical history. Dental insurance can cover preventative treatment as well as routine dental work and after accident care. It will also pay the NHS dental treatment costs if there are any.
Dental plans usually come at different levels and, depending on how much you pay as a premium, will give higher or lower amounts of cover in the areas of maintenance (such as check-ups, x-rays and visits to the hygienist), routine dental work (like fillings and crowns) and dental injury (for care after accidents where teeth have been damaged).
Many dental plans take into account the nature of family visits to the dentist and offer family cover at a reduced rate of premium.
Health insurance firms recommend NHS screening.