Product Description
Dental insurance generally covers the expense of necessary dental work such as X-rays, fillings, teeth removal, cleaning, etc. and also additional dental work not covered under your government plan, such as cosmetic dental work. It can also help get the dental work needed in a timelier manner. Dental insurance plans are an addition to the work you can get through the NHS, which is free and they do cover a variety of dental work that the NHS may not allow.

Main Players
There are over 40 providers of dental insurance however the most popular in regards to reviews and customer feedback include HSA, Tesco Dental Insurance, Denplan, CIGNA and Bupa. Their plans range in price and some offer additional medical benefits so it is worth checking them all to find the most suitable for you.

Pros of Dental Insurance

• Shorter waiting times for non-essential treatments.
• You can choose your dentist in most cases.
• A lot of specialist options are covered by private policies but aren’t covered by the NHS.
• You don’t get stuck with a huge bill after having dental work done.

Cons of Dental Insurance

• Not all dental work is covered by some policies so this should be checked before signing.
• Premiums can be expensive and multiple claims can put the price up in the following year.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Provider
There are plenty of dental insurance providers available and while most will offer comprehensive policies some will just offer the basics, such as teeth cleaning and emergency work. You need to know exactly what is covered by the policy you choose so that you don’t go having expensive cosmetic work done that you then end up paying for.

You should also look at how easy it is to claim when you need to and how multiple claims this year will affect your premiums next year, if at all. Then of course there is the price. By doing a bit of research you can probably find a dental insurance policy that offers everything you want but if it costs the earth then look elsewhere. Consider how much you are going to need the policy and what kind of dental work you might need it for and work from there. Some companies allow you to pick and choose your benefits and these are the best companies to go for.

BUYability Summary
Dental insurance is optional but with the waiting lists at NHS surgeries it is certainly worth a look. As a private patient with insurance you can often get an appointment a lot quicker than without it and in an emergency this is a godsend. You should choose a policy that covers the dental procedures you may need in the coming year but you can forget all the optional extras as these will just add to the cost and will probably never be used. If you suffer with tooth problems then dental insurance is a good idea but if you have a perfect set of pearly whites then it might work out to be a waste of good money. The decision is yours at the end of the day though.