With the mass exodus of dentists away from the NHS, and many surgeries now entirely refusing to take on new NHS patients, dental insurance could have changed from a luxury to a necessity.
In the last year, it is estimated that approximately 10 per cent of surgeries have gone private, leaving approximately a million fewer people with access to NHS dental treatment. If British Dental Health Foundation figures are anything to go by, this accounts for about a fifth of the people who visit a dentist every year.
For those looking to private dental insurance, a range of options exist. These include cash plans, dental insurance, and capitation schemes. Cash plans are the most simple, and often the cheapest option, and provide payback on NHS or private treatment, usually set to an annual limit.
Dental insurance is usually slightly more expensive, and covers those with a policy for non-emergency and emergency treatment, but not usually for checkups.




