Employee dental insurance

What is employee dental insurance?

Employee dental insurance, also referred to as business dental insurance, is a type of health benefit offered by employers to their workforce that covers them for dental care, such as preventative, basic and emergency dental works.

This insurance plays a crucial role in ensuring employees have access to affordable dental treatments, which plays an important role in their overall health and wellbeing. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the key points:

Definition: It's a health coverage plan specifically designed to cover the cost of dental care. This may include preventive services like cleanings and exams, basic procedures such as fillings and extractions, and major services including crowns, bridges, and sometimes orthodontics.

Purpose: The primary goal is to make dental care more accessible and affordable for employees, encouraging regular dental check-ups and treatments that prevent more serious and costly dental issues down the line.

Benefits for employees: Dental insurance may promote better oral health, which may in turn prevent diseases, reduce out-of-pocket costs for dental treatments and improve ease of access for your staff.

‍Benefits for employers: Employee dental cover may help to attract talent, retain employees, reduce absenteeism and demonstrate to your staff that you care for their wellbeing.

Types of coverage: Cover varies, but may include routine check-ups, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, root canals, extractions, crowns, bridges and other dental care.

Cost structure: Typically paid monthly or annually in full or in part by the employer. There may be annual limits on certain treatment types.

Should you provide employee dental insurance?

We’ve looked at several reports from relevant organisations to understand whether there’s a need for dental treatment, how Britons are currently accessing care, and the current level of care being offered.

How common is dental treatment?

The following statistics are from the NHS Dental Statistic for England, 2022-23 Annual report and highlight current UK NHS dental treatment:

18.1 million adults were seen by an NHS Dentist in the 24 months prior to 30 June, 2023

6.4 million children were seen by an NHS Dentist in the 24 months prior to 30 June, 2023

32.5 million courses of treatment were delivered in 2022-23, an increase of 23.2% compared to the previous two years

How are individuals currently accessing dental care?

The following statistics are from the House of Commons Committee report 2022-23 and highlight how UK individuals are accessing or not accessing dental care.

22% of Britons are not currently registered with a dentist, 37% of which said because they cannot find an NHS dentist

23% of those not registered with a dentist say the reason is because they cannot afford to pay for treatment

10% of Britons admit to attempting their own dental work, due to reasons such as not being able to get a timely appointment or being able to register with a dentist

Is public dental treatment meeting your employees' needs?

The following statistics and quotes are from the Parliament and Health Service Ombudsman’s article Dental complaints on the rise and highlight some of the public opinions on public dental services.

Complaints about NHS dental practices increased by 66% between 2017/18 - 2022/23

"Like many other areas of the NHS, dentistry is suffering from low morale, underfunding, and a recruitment and retention problem" - Ombudsman Rob Behrens

"NHS dentistry is the second most common problem the public tells Healthwatch about. Over the past three years, our local services have produced over 400 research reports exposing experiences of people suffering in pain, performing DIY dentistry and struggling to pay treatment costs.” - William Pett, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research at Healthwatch England

Report findings

The above reports highlight that dental care is widely required in the UK, yet individuals may be struggling to access care or receive care that’s inadequate for their needs. This may represent an opportunity for businesses to offer employee dental insurance and provide them with an impactful benefit that fills a gap in their health needs.

Employee dental insurance cover options

When comparing employee dental insurance policies, you may come across various cover options and policy structures. These range from basic cover with limited options and lower limits to more comprehensive policies offering additional care levels. Here's a breakdown of some of the cover options you might encounter:

• Dental treatments: Such as fillings, tooth extractions, root canal treatments, crowns, bridges, dentures, scale and polishes, x-rays, dental implants and more.
• Pre existing conditions: Some providers and policy options may cover treatments for conditions that existed before the policy started.
• Accidents and emergencies: Cover for accidental and emergency dental treatments, which may or may not cover dental works required due to sports injuries.
• Worldwide cover: Employees are covered for dental treatment in multiple countries across the world. 
• Any dentist: Some policies may cover staff for dental treatments from any UK dentist, regardless of whether they’re an NHS or private practitioner.
• Member benefits: Employees may receive additional perks from the provider, such as discounts, health advice, and more.
• Planned treatments: Some policies may cover employees for treatments that have been identified but have yet to start.
• Family cover: Employees may be able to add their partner and/or children to the policy for an additional cost.

Are there any exclusions?

Most policies will be offered with exclusions, which are dental treatments and services that aren’t covered as part of the policy. Here are some examples of exclusions you may find:

• Cosmetic dentistry, such as teeth whitening or veneers
• Orthodontic treatments, such as braces
• Treatment for aesthetic reasons not linked to health
• Implants and related procedures
• Sports injuries, if not covered under accident and emergency cover
• Elective or experimental treatments and procedures not widely recognised by the dental profession
• Any costs exceeding annual limits set by the policy
• Waiting periods may apply for certain treatments, meaning immediate coverage is not always available

What are policy limits?

Employee dental insurance policies may include limits. These limits define how much of a certain treatment or service an employee can access before the policy won’t cover further care. This may be a monetary value or a limit on the number of times they can access care.

How does dental insurance work for employees?

Any employees covered under dental insurance need to be aware of how it impacts them, such as how they make claims, whether they have to contribute towards the cost, and any tax implications. 

Making a claim on employee dental insurance

The claims process will vary between providers, but as a general rule, here’s how the process may look:

1. Tell your insurer if you require a check-up or dental care.
2. Visit a dentist covered under the policy, such as a practice listed in the provider’s network or an NHS dentist.
3. Following the treatment, the dental practice will create an itemised invoice.
4. Your provider may handle the claim for you, or you may be required to cover the costs and claim them back from the insurer.
5. If you need to reclaim costs, submit the itemised invoice, and the provider will process everything for you.

Who pays for employee dental insurance?

Dental insurance can be paid for in three ways: By the employer, by the employees, or paid for by both. It is up to the employer to decide which route works best for their staff when setting up the policy.

Taxation and fees

Employee dental insurance is considered to be a benefit in kind, which means it’s subject to tax and national insurance. Employees will be subject to additional taxation if the employer pays the policy premium.

How much does employee dental insurance cost?

When determining the cost of dental insurance for employees, several factors come into play, affecting the overall premiums. It's not just about the provider or the extent of the coverage; various elements can influence the price. Here’s an expanded look at what might impact the cost:

1. Who the provider is: Different insurance companies have varying pricing strategies based on their services, network size, and reputation.
2. Scope of coverage: The broader the coverage (e.g., preventive care, major dental work, orthodontics), the higher the premium will be.
3. Policy limits: Higher annual policy limits can increase the cost of the policy.
4. Number of employees: Generally, the more employees you have, the better the rates you can negotiate, but the total cost will also be higher due to the larger number of insured individuals.
5. Geographical location: Costs can vary significantly depending on where your business is located and where your employees are accessing dental care. For example, central London may attract higher premiums than elsewhere in the UK.
6. Risk factors: Insurers may consider the overall dental health of your employee group, which can influence rates.

How much would dental treatment cost?

While the NHS offers fixed costs for some dental treatments, costs between private practices may vary. We’ve taken information from a Bupa dental clinic as a representation of how much certain treatments may cost your employees if they receive dental care outside of insurance.

Bridges: £306.80 

Crowns: £306.80

Filling (small, silver): £70.70 - £181.00

Filling (large, silver): £70.70 - £271.50

Root canal (back): £70.70 - £673.00+

Root canal (front): £70.70 - £463.00+

Hygienist appointment: £79.00+

Tooth extraction: £70.70 - £283.00+

Surgical tooth extraction: £70.70 - £449.00+

Compare employee dental insurance

Our free advice and comparison service is available to help any business considering employee dental insurance. We’re here to answer your questions, compare policies on your behalf, and guide your decision based on your wants, needs and our experience with employee dental insurance. You’re under no obligation to purchase, and you can get started by completing the form below.