Health insurance guides
Does health insurance cover dentist’s fees?
Key takeaways: Does health insurance cover dentist’s fees?
Health insurance doesn’t usually cover dentist’s fees. However, you may be able to add a cashback option to your insurance, or take out a cash plan to cover them instead. With these options, you pay directly and then claim the money back from your insurer, usually up to an annual limit.
Standalone dental insurance offers cover for dental accidents and emergencies at home and abroad.
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Jump to sections:
- Does health insurance cover dentist’s fees?
- What are dental cashback options and cash plans?
- What do dental cashback options and cash plans cover?
- How do you buy a dental cashback option or cash plan?
- What is dental insurance?
- Do I need dental insurance if I already have health insurance?
- Can I use my own dentist?
- What’s not covered?
Does health insurance cover dentist’s fees?
While most health insurance policies don’t usually include routine dental care, there are a range of standalone and add-on options that can help cover the costs.
You may be able to add a cashback option or cash plan to your health insurance. These will typically reimburse you for a percentage of dentist’s fees. What you’ll get will depend on the level of plan you choose. Find out more about cash plans in our guide: What’s the difference between health insurance and a health cash plan?
If you want wider cover, you could go for standalone dental insurance. It usually includes treatment for accidents and emergencies, including dental trauma and major restorative work, as well as routine care.
What are dental cashback options and cash plans?
Cashback options and cash plans can help you manage the cost of dental treatments. You pay a monthly or yearly fee, then claim back money towards dental costs. You need to pay the dentist up front and then claim the money back from your insurer.
Cashback options typically also include optician’s fees, while cash plans may cover other routine health treatment, such as physiotherapy.
What do dental cashback options and cash plans cover?
What’s covered will depend on your plan. It can include routine dental check-ups and hygienist visits, fillings, crowns, root canal work and emergency dental treatment. Some plans may also pay towards orthodontic treatment and implants.
Most plans will pay you back a percentage of the treatment cost. AXA Health’s cashback option and cash plans pay 80%, with a cap on how much you can claim back each year.
Find out more in our guide on the difference between health insurance and a health cash plan.
How do you buy a dental cashback option or cash plan?
Dental cashback is an optional extra that you can add to your health insurance – check with your provider if it’s available with your plan.
You can add cash plans to health insurance or buy them standalone, direct from the provider.
What is dental insurance?
Dental insurance is similar to health insurance – you pay a monthly premium and the insurer typically covers dental treatment, including accidents and emergencies, at home and overseas, usually up to set limits. With some dental insurance plans, you don’t need to make any upfront payment if you use one of their approved or partner dentists.
Do I need dental insurance if I already have health insurance?
Health insurance may cover some treatments, like oral surgery linked to an accident, but cover is usually limited. Dental insurance covers a wider range of emergency and routine dental treatments.
Can I use my own dentist?
You can usually use your own dentist unless there are any restrictions on your plan.
What’s not covered?
What’s not covered will vary depending on your insurer, so it’s a good idea to check before you buy a cashback option, cash plan or dental insurance. Things that aren’t covered typically include:
- Treatment that’s purely cosmetic, like veneers or teeth whitening
- Treatments already diagnosed and underway before your plan started
- Anything you claim for after you’ve reached your plan’s limit
Similar to health insurance, dental insurance won’t cover any treatment for conditions that existed before your policy started, but cashback options and cash plans may cover routine care for these conditions.