Family dental insurance – a good investment?

Cutting the cost of family dental insurance

One way of reducing the cost of family dental insurance is to see if you can take out a policy direct with your dentist. This kind of policy is based on an initial examination of your family’s teeth, and the price is based on the amount of work that your dentist expects you to need over the coming year. In many ways, these policies are more a way of spreading the cost of care, although you may also be covered for additional work should you require it. The disadvantage of these schemes is that many practices will insist that any required work is done before your family dental insurance policy starts.

Cash back schemes

Another way of reducing the cost of your family dental insurance is to include family members on any medical cash plan scheme that you have, such as HSA or Medicash. In this case, you will receive a cash benefit towards the cost of dental care, although this will be significantly less than you would receive from a dedicated family dental insurance policy.

The advantages of family dental insurance

Dental health is important for all members of the family, whatever their age, but it is particularly important for children. Family dental insurance means you will never have to compromise on the quality of care you and your family receive because of the cost. With the right family dental insurance, you will always be able to access the treatment you need.

Family dental insurance also gives you a wider choice of dental practices, as you will not be restricted to NHS practices or budget surgeries. The more choice you and your family have, the more likely you are to find a dentist that you trust and feel comfortable with. This in turn means you are more likely to establish a routine of regular visits necessary to maintain excellent oral health.

The disadvantages of family dental insurance

The biggest disadvantage of family dental insurance is that you will pay your regular monthly premium regardless of whether or not you need dental care. If your family have a good standard of brushing and flossing, and maintain a teeth friendly diet that avoids sweets and excessive fruit acids, then you may find that you are paying for care you don’t use.

Is family dental insurance a good investment?

At the end of the day, you only get one set of adult teeth, and if you lose one or more of these, then they are gone for life. So anything that helps you maintain good oral health has to be a good investment.

However, whether or not family dental insurance is right for you will depend on your individual circumstances, and of course, the availability of NHS treatment in your area.

Profile of the author

Dr Kathryn Senior is an acclaimed medical journalist who has written over 500 feature articles for leading international journals within The Lancet group. As Senior Writer at Freelance Copy she produces high quality scientific and medical content for websites and printed publications for companies and organisations in the health, medical and pharmaceutical sectors.