dental insurance
WIth NHS dentists being as elusive as the Loch Ness monster
these days, it is small wonder that many people either take out
private cover or forgo going to the dentist altogether.
Since April 2006, when new rules came into
force setting the monthly income which NHS dentists can earn,
many have defected to the private sector.
But before purchasing dental insurance, check
whether your employer provides this for you as an employee benefit,
either as part of a private medical insurance plan or as a stand
alone dental policy.
If decide to buy your own dental cover, you
will probably be offered a ‘capitation’ scheme, whereby
you make regular monthly payments based on your expected level
of treatment.
Denplan is the UK's biggest provider of capitation
schemes, and has 1.3m patients registered with more than 6,000
dentists. As individual dentists set their own fees, there is
usually no set fee scale.
The dentist that you register with will give you
an oral assessment to asses the state of your dental health and the
amount of treatment you are likely to require. There is also a
one-off registration fee to pay in the first month of your contract
to cover administration costs.
The plan covers all normal routine dental care
including check-ups, fillings, X-rays and preventive care, but not
cosmetic dentistry. It also includes supplementary cover towards
the cost of treatment required as a result of accidents and
emergencies.
The average cost tends to be around £16-20 a month, depending on
your oral health and your dentist’s level of charges.