One of the first things people notice about you is your smile, which is why it’s so important to take care of it. Keeping up to date with your visits to the dentist not only keeps your teeth in top condition but also helps prevent any mouth-related health issues from developing, including toothache, bad breath, or gum disease. A lot of people put off visiting the dentist either because they are nervous, haven’t been in a while or worry about the price of dental care. Looking after your teeth doesn’t have to be difficult or costly, and taking a preventative approach to you and your family’s oral health will be beneficial in the long run.
Having dental cover gives you financial help towards your annual dental care as well as those unexpected bills that crop up. A trip to the dentist can cost you up to £306.80 for band 3 treatment on the NHS, so being able to claim some of this money back on your health cash plan can be a relief. We can’t make the dentist any more enjoyable, but we can at least help relieve the financial burden.
What is a dental cash plan?
A dental cash plan often comes as part of a wider health cash plan. Unlike certain dental plans that are available, a health cash plan gives you cover for a range of other medical treatments and services in one easy package. This includes optical check-ups, therapy treatments and more. You pay a monthly fee which gives you cover to claim back a percentage of the cost of appointments you have had to attend.
Our plan offers dental cover for checkups, treatments, clean and polishes, dentures, dental accidents and more, all from just £8.09 per month. You can go to any fully qualified dentist you choose, either private or on the NHS. This means you can keep up to date with your appointments and make sure your teeth and gums are in the best condition possible.
Claiming your money back is simple and done in three easy steps:
- Save the receipts from your dental appointment
- Submit them as a claim online or through the post
- Receive the money back quickly into your chosen bank account
What am I covered for?
According to the NHS Dental Statistics for England 2019-20, 9.8 million courses of treatment were delivered in quarter 2 of 2019-20. This is an increase of 79,984 compared to the same quarter from the previous year.
With dental treatment becoming more important than ever, knowing you have financial support available when you do need to visit the dentist can put your mind at ease. Below are some of the most common reasons you will have a dental appointment, all available for you to claim back from your dental cover as a part of our health cash plan.
Check-ups
Most commonly people will visit the dentist for a check-up, which is an appointment where your dentist will have a look into the health of your mouth. From this, they will be able to assess if there are any current issues or signs that a problem could occur if the issue is not addressed now. If they do find anything, they will either fix the problem on the same day or book you in for another appointment.
How often you see the dentist for a check-up depends on your own dental health, but on average people will visit the dentist at least once a year. A dental check-up where you need no treatment will cost you £25.80 on the NHS, which you can claim back with your dental cover.
Regardless of how healthy you think your mouth is, regular visits are still important. Dental check-ups give your dentist the chance to check your mouth for any possible signs of oral health problems such as tooth decay, gum disease and cancer.
Dental treatments
If your dentist finds an issue during a check-up, they will recommend a course of treatment. Having dental cover means that you will be able to claim money back towards the cost of treatment, whether that be a simple scale and polish or a root canal treatment. Some of the treatments people commonly have at the dentist are:
- Fillings and repairs
- Crowns and caps
- Root canal treatment
- Scale and polish
- Extractions
Read more about the treatments available with your dental cover in our health cash plan guide.
Full or partial dentures
Dentures replace missing teeth and are fitted as either a full or partial set. They continue to be one of the most popular options for people with missing teeth as they are easy to use and completely removable.
You have cover for both partial and full dentures with your plan. If you need full dentures (whether that be an upper set, full lower set or both) you can claim up to double your maximum dental benefit. This allowance will be available over a two-year benefit period, and your receipt must confirm that full dentures have been supplied.
Dental accident
Accidents happen from time to time, and unfortunately when it comes to fixing teeth it can be quite expensive. Having dental cover means that if you have had an accident that results in injury to your teeth, caused by direct external impact to the head, you can use your dental cover to help you with any costs that come from your dental treatment. No matter if this is caused by a sporting injury or a bad fall, you can use your health cash plan to help ease the burden.
How much money can I claim back?
You can claim back up to 100% of the cost, depending on the maximum for your plan level. This ranges from level 1 where you can claim back £33 for dental care within a year, all the way up to level 5 where you can claim back £245.
The most common plan people opt for is level 3, which allows you to claim back up to £120 on dental care every 12 months. Visit our health cash plan page for more information about the different levels available to find what suits you best.
Find out more about our health cash plan
A health cash plan is a great way to save money on a range of healthcare treatments, including dental care. By choosing a Westfield Health health cash plan you are investing in your wellbeing, protecting yourself financially for when those medical expenses crop up.
You can find out more about the different plans available by downloading our Good4you plan guide.
Comments
Would my child’s NHS orthodontic costs be covered (eg for a broken retainer if it needed replacement)?
Hi,
Providing your children are covered for the Dental benefit on your policy we cover repairs and adjustments to retainers.
You can find more details about the cash plan on our FAQ here:
https://www.westfieldhealth.com/help
Best wishes,
The Westfield Health Team
Hi my name is marie and I was just reading your answers to questions ppl have asked I was wondering if you can claim money back once a year or can you claim back every time you go to the dentist as some ppl need to have a lot of work done many thanks
Hi Marie,
You can keep sending in claims until you reach your maximum allowance. Every benefit has its own benefit period — for dental this is one year. The benefit period will be activated when you submit your first claim, and will start from the date you paid your practitioner. After one year, the full allowance will renew.
You can find more details about the cash plan on our FAQ here:
https://www.westfieldhealth.com/help
Best wishes,
The Westfield Health Team
Does your plan cover private dental treatment
Hi Maria,
Our cash plans cover either NHS or private dental treatment as long as it’s carried out by a fully qualified dental practitioner holding current registration with the General Dental Council, who works in a general dental practice.
See more information about what is and isn’t covered and how to find an approved dentist.
Best wishes
The Westfield Health Team
Do I have to stay on the same plan for a year or can I change it?
Hi Leila,
The Good4You plan mentioned in this article is a monthly rolling contract which allows the level of cover to be changed at any point during the life of the policy. When changing your level of cover you may be subject to qualifying periods or no longer be covered for ongoing medical conditions subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.
Best wishes
The Westfield Health Team
Hello, my dentist is suggesting her patients join their denplan scheme where they change about £29 per month and then treatments are (in general) covered. Would I be able to claim these charges back? Many thanks, Peter
Hi Peter,
Unfortunately our dental benefit does not cover dental schemes. You can see more information about what is and isn’t covered.