Dental Cover Compared: UK Health Insurers 2026

Knowledge Hub · Dental Cover

Does Health Insurance Cover Dental?

Updated August 2026 7 minute read

In most cases, no, not as standard. UK private health insurance is built around acute medical conditions, so dental treatment sits outside the core policy and has to be added as a paid optional benefit, typically £8 to £25 a month per adult.

Bupa is the one exception among the major insurers, including a limited dental allowance as standard. We've compared the dental add-ons from Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Vitality, WPA, Saga and Freedom, so you can see the annual limits, excesses and exclusions side by side before you buy.

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Dental check-up covered by private health insurance

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At A Glance

Dental Cover At A Glance

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Not Standard

With one exception, dental cover isn't included as standard on UK health insurance, it's usually an optional add-on.

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Limits Vary Widely

Annual dental limits range from around £100 to several hundred pounds, depending on insurer and treatment type.

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Often Bundled

Dental add-ons are frequently combined with optical and hearing cover in a single package.

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Check The Excess

Some dental add-ons carry their own excess or percentage-reimbursement structure, separate from your main policy excess.

Why It Matters

Why Dental Cover Has Grown In Popularity

Private dental treatment prices have risen sharply in recent years, and NHS dental services in many areas remain hard to access, with long waits for new NHS patients in some regions. That combination has pushed more people toward dental add-ons and standalone dental plans to help manage the cost of routine and unexpected treatment.

It's worth being clear about what this guide covers: we're looking specifically at dental cover available as an add-on to an individual health insurance or family health insurance policy, not standalone dental insurance plans, which some of these same insurers also offer separately with different benefits.

Cover Detail

Health Insurance: What's Covered?

Cover varies by provider and plan, here's what's typically included.

Usually Standard

Hospital stays for operations and surgery
Specialist consultations
Diagnostic tests and scans, including MRIs
Private cancer treatment
Private digital GP

Optional

Outpatient costs, consultations and diagnostics
Therapies such as physiotherapy and osteopathy
Dental cover
Travel cover
Mental health cover

Typical Exclusions

Emergency care
Chronic conditions
Some pre-existing conditions

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Compared

Dental Cover By Insurer

What each add-on is called, what's covered, and the annual limits.

Insurer	Routine Dental	Restorative / Emergency	Excess & NCD Impact
Aviva Dental & Optical Add-On	£250 a year for exams, cleaning, fillings, crowns, extractions and surgery	£600 for accidental dental injury	£50 excess on the dental pot
AXA Health Dentist & Optician Cashback	80% cashback up to £400 a year	Included within the same £400 annual limit	No excess, doesn't affect NCD
Bupa Dental Allowance (standard) + Dental Cover 20 (add-on)	1 appointment a year at a Bupa Dental Care practice, included as standard	£300 restorative as standard; Dental Cover 20 add-on covers £600 emergency and £5,000 for injury from external impact	No excess on the standard allowance, doesn't affect NCD
Vitality Optical, Dental & Hearing Cover	100% of costs up to £100 a year for routine and hygiene	80% up to £400 a year for restorative work; 100% up to £2,500 per emergency claim, max two claims a year	Not specified for listed benefits
WPA Dental Care Cover	Not typically included for routine check-ups	Up to £250 per course of dental emergency treatment, up to 4 courses a year, in the UK or abroad; up to £20,000 for dental injuries	Not specified
Saga Health Cash Benefits Cover	Up to £200 a year for dental care	Up to £200 a year for dental emergencies, a separate limit from routine care	No excess, doesn't affect NCD
Freedom Dental, Optical & Private GP Cover, Elite tier only	Up to £300 a year for check-ups, X-rays, scale and polish, extractions, fillings, crowns, bridges and inlays	Up to £600 a year for accidental dental injury or severe acute pain	£50 excess applies across the combined dental, optical and GP benefit

Figures above are indicative and based on current policy documentation at the time of writing. Insurers update benefit tiers and limits periodically, so always confirm exact current figures for your chosen plan with our broker partners before you buy. The Exeter is not included in this table, as it doesn't currently offer a dental or optical add-on.

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Worth Knowing

Bupa Is The Only Insurer With Dental Cover As Standard

Every other insurer in this comparison treats dental as a paid add-on. Bupa includes one appointment a year at a participating Bupa Dental Care practice, plus a £300 restorative allowance, as standard on its policies, with no excess and no impact on your no claims discount. You can still upgrade to Bupa's Dental Cover 20 add-on for broader cover, including emergency treatment and injury protection.

Worth Knowing

Bupa's standard allowance only applies at a Bupa Dental Care practice. If you'd rather use your existing dentist, you'll want to weigh that restriction against the free cover on offer.

Worth Considering

Just Looking For Dental Cover?

If dental is all you're after, here's the honest comparison before you decide.

Standalone dental insurance is a valid option, plans from providers like Bupa, AXA and Simplyhealth typically run from around £10 to £50 a month for an individual, depending on your cover level, and they're worth considering if dental is the only thing you need.

But it's worth knowing what you're not getting for that money. A standalone dental plan only ever covers your teeth, nothing else. Health insurance with a dental add-on, like the options compared above, gives you dental cover alongside protection for the things that matter far more if they ever happen, private diagnosis, specialist consultations, scans, and treatment for serious conditions including cancer. For a comparable monthly spend once you factor in the full picture, you'd be covered for considerably more than your teeth.

Worth a five-minute comparison

Before committing to a dental-only plan, it's worth seeing what a full health insurance quote with dental included would actually cost you. For many people the gap is smaller than expected, and the extra protection is significant.

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What It Costs

What Does Private Dental Treatment Actually Cost?

Before deciding whether dental cover is worth it, it helps to know what you'd actually pay self-funding. Prices vary by region and practice, London and Edinburgh typically run 20-50% higher than elsewhere in the UK.

Treatment	Typical Self-Fund Price	NHS Price (If Available)
Routine Check-Up	£50-£120	£27.90 (Band 1)
White Filling	£90-£300	£76.60 (Band 2)
Simple Extraction	£100-£400	£76.60 (Band 2)
Root Canal Treatment	£300-£1,500	£76.60 (Band 2)
Crown	£500-£1,200	£332.10 (Band 3)
Bridge (3-Unit)	£1,500-£3,000	£332.10 (Band 3)
Dental Implant (Single)	£1,800-£5,500	Not routinely available
Orthodontics (Full Course)	£2,500-£6,000	Under-18s only, by referral

NHS Band 2 and Band 3 charges cover a whole course of treatment, not each item separately, so a filling and a root canal in the same course both fall under the single Band 2 fee. NHS pricing sourced from NHS Business Services Authority, effective April 2026. For what the insurance itself costs, see our private health insurance cost guide and price calculator.

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The Honest Comparison

PMI Dental Add-On vs Standalone vs Cash Plan

Three different ways to cover dental costs, worth knowing the trade-offs before you decide.

Option	Typical Cost	Annual Limit	Best For
PMI Dental Add-On	£8-£25/month extra	£250-£1,500	Convenience, one policy
Standalone Dental Insurance	£13-£60/month	£500-£2,500, some top tiers uncapped on certain treatments	Dental is your main concern
Health Cash Plan	£8-£40/month	£100-£400 per category	Routine, predictable spend

The Trade-Off

A PMI dental add-on's annual limit sounds generous until a single crown at £500-£1,200 eats most of a £1,000 limit in one visit, on top of a 3-6 month wait before you can claim. Standalone dental insurance typically offers £500-£2,500 in annual cover, often more than a PMI add-on, since it's priced specifically for dental claims. Which route works out best depends on your own dental history and how much routine care you expect to need.

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Other Options

Standalone Dental Insurance & Health Cash Plans

If dental is your main concern rather than full medical cover, these are worth knowing about too.

Type	What It Actually Is	Regulated Insurance?
Standalone Dental Insurance	A dedicated policy covering dental costs only, priced specifically for dental claims rather than bolted onto a wider PMI policy	Yes
Health Cash Plan	A fixed monthly amount, then a percentage refund on dental, optical and other everyday costs up to a category limit	Varies by provider, check the specific plan
Dental Payment Plan	Arranged directly through your own dentist (Denplan is the best-known example), spreads the cost of routine treatment	Usually no, only small optional add-ons within these plans are typically insurance

That last distinction matters more than most guides make clear. Denplan's core plan is a payment plan arranged directly with your dentist, not a regulated insurance policy, only a small optional add-on within it (Denplan Dental Emergency & Injury Cover, around 60p a month) is FCA-regulated insurance. Standalone dental insurance from providers like WPA or Bupa is a different, fully regulated product, worth knowing which one you're comparing.

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FAQs

Dental Cover FAQs

Does health insurance cover dental in the UK?

It can, but it's not usually included as standard. Most insurers offer dental as an optional add-on that increases your premium, with Bupa the main exception, which includes a small dental allowance as standard.

Which health insurer has the best dental cover?

It depends what you need. AXA and Vitality offer strong overall dental and optical add-ons, Bupa gives you a free standard allowance plus an upgrade option, and WPA is strongest for dental emergencies and injury cover rather than routine check-ups.

How much does dental cover add to a health insurance premium?

Typically £8 to £25 a month per adult, depending on the insurer, the plan tier and whether optical cover is bundled in alongside it. Some insurers show the dental add-on as a separate line on your quote, others fold it into the headline premium, so it's worth asking our broker partners to itemise it before you compare policies on price.

Does dental cover affect my no claims discount?

Usually not. Most dental and optical add-ons, including AXA's and Bupa's standard allowance, are structured so claims don't affect your no claims discount, but always check the specific terms of your add-on.

Can I get dental cover without full health insurance?

Yes. Several of the insurers in this comparison also offer standalone dental insurance plans, typically £10 to £50 a month, separate from private medical insurance, with different benefits to the add-ons covered here. It's worth comparing the cost against a full health insurance quote with dental included first though, standalone plans only ever cover your teeth, while health insurance protects you far more broadly for a comparable spend.

Does dental cover include cosmetic treatment like whitening?

Generally no. Cosmetic dental treatment is a common exclusion across most insurers' dental add-ons, which are designed for routine, restorative and emergency care rather than cosmetic work.

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Compare Health Insurance From The UK's Leading Insurers

Our free comparison service makes it easy to compare health insurance from the UK's leading insurers, helping you compare cover, benefits and prices in one place.

Compare Health Insurance With Dental

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4.6 · Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Sources & Disclaimer

Written by: Darren Lewis, health insurance specialist and founder of Compare My Health Insurance. Last reviewed: August 2026. Next scheduled review: February 2027.

Per-insurer figures are based on policy documentation reviewed at the time of writing and are indicative only. Insurers update benefit tiers and limits periodically, so always confirm exact current figures directly with our broker partners before buying.

This guide is for general information only and is not regulated financial advice. Always check each insurer's full policy wording before purchasing. Compare My Health Insurance is a comparison service and works with FCA-regulated broker partners, who may pay a referral fee.

Sources: Aviva, AXA Health, Bupa, Vitality, WPA, Saga and Freedom Health Insurance policy documentation. NHS dental charges sourced from the NHS Business Services Authority, effective April 2026.

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