Cost worst thing about trip to the dentist
It's not just your mouth that suffers from a trip to the dentist; your bank balance will too.
The worst thing about a trip to the dentist may actually be the cost, according to research by Saga.
A new survey of more than 10,000 people found the bill is the biggest gripe about seeing the dentist among the over 50s (59%), ahead of getting a suitable appointment (7%), delays in being seen (6%), being lectured about dental health (5%) and not having a dentist in the local area.
And it’s little wonder, when you consider that the average cost of emergency dental treatment among those surveyed came to a whopping £228.
So how can you cut the cost the next time you need to make an emergency appointment?
Private medical insurance
If you already have a private medical insurance (PMI) policy, dental cover may be included. For example, with health insurance from AXA you can claim back 80% of any dentist charges up to a maximum of £300 a year.
With Pruhealth, the core PMI policy includes full coverage of oral surgery, while you can add dental cover (which means money back for basic treatments as well as emergencies) as an additional extra.
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Dental insurance
Dental insurance usually covers everything from the cost of regular treatment to emergencies.
There are plenty of insurers who offer dental insurance, across a range of cover levels.
For example, WPA offers its Providential dental insurance plan, which offers two levels of cover – NHS treatment only or NHS and private treatment. With level two cover you’re even covered if you need to get emergency dental treatment abroad. It costs from £10.25 a month for those aged 18-49 or £12.93 for the over 50s.
Or there’s Dencover, which offers seven different types of cover, from the basic (check up, routine examinations, X Rays, etc) to the more serious (emergencies abroad, hospital dental cover for up to 20 nights and even oral cancer). Policies start at £4.99 per person.
More familiar names, like Bupa and AXA, also offer dental insurance.
Health cash plans
A health cash plan is an alternative to traditional forms of insurance. You pay a monthly premium, and you can then claim back some or all of the cost of a range of health treatments. This stretches beyond dental treatment – health cash plans often cover things like eye tests, prescription glasses, physiotherapy and even pay out if you need to stay in hospital overnight. The main difference to more mainstream forms of health insurance is that there is no medical involved.
There are many different health cash plans out there, all offering slightly different things.
For example a level one health cash plan from WPA will set you back £10.28 a month. This covers £65 of dental treatment in a year, as well as £65 towards optical costs, £200 towards therapies, £50 towards prescription charges and all sorts of other benefits. To add dental trauma cover would mean an extra £2.50 a month.
Alternatively, Simplyhealth offers a cash plan specifically for dental costs. There are four levels of cover, ranging from £7.95 a month to £23.95. With emergency visits, each of the different plans pays out 100% of your costs up to £500 a year. The differences are in the more basic treatments – level one cover pays out up to £30 for check ups or for a scale and polish, which jumps to £120 with level four cover.
Go abroad
Many Brits head overseas for their dental treatment every year in order to save money. However, while the initial treatment may be cheaper, getting follow up treatment may be more expensive and inconvenient.
If you’re thinking of heading abroad for dental treatment, be sure to read the General Dental Council’s guide to getting treatment overseas.
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