Protect Your Smile and Wallet with Dental Health Insurance

Posted on: Apr 5, 2023 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Protect Your Smile and Wallet with Dental Health Insurance

Try to picture yourself waking up in the wee hours of the morning with a throbbing toothache. You try to ignore the pain and go back to sleep, but it only worsens. The next morning, you rush to the dentist and are informed that you need root canal treatment, which can cost a considerable amount of money. This situation can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if you are not financially prepared for unexpected dental expenses. However, your dental insurance in India — if you have one—can help you manage dental care costs and avoid such situations. Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential to good health. However, dental treatments and procedures can be quite expensive, making it difficult for individuals to manage dental care costs. Let us try to understand what is dental insurance, its features and advantages, and most importantly, why it’s important for you.

What Is Dental Health Insurance?

It is a type of medical insurance policy that provides coverage for various necessary dental procedures and treatments. Dental health insurance plans typically cover procedures such as routine check-ups, cleanings, fillings, extractions, and root canals. Some policies may also cover cosmetic dental procedures such as teeth whitening and veneers only if necessary and recommended by doctors.

Is dental treatment covered in health insurance?

Most health insurance policies do not cover dental treatments because they are considered pre-planned and cosmetic. However, if any dental treatment is required due to an accidental injury or illness and is recommended by doctors as part of the treatment, the medical expenses are covered by insurers.

There is no specific dental insurance plan, and few insurance providers offer dental coverage as part of healthcare plans. Fillings, crowns, extractions and surgery are covered but not cosmetic surgeries. If you have opted for out-patient (OPD) coverage, the dental expenses are usually covered, but only those related to extractions, fillings, X-rays, root canal treatments, etc. The cost of dentures, cosmetic surgery, dental prosthesis, dental implants, orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, jaw alignment, etc., are not covered unless necessitated by an accidental injury.

Why Do You Need Dental Health Insurance?

Here are a few reasons why you need dental health insurance plans:

1. Manage Dental Treatment Costs:

Dental treatments can be expensive, especially if you require complex procedures, such as root canals, extractions, etc. Dental health insurance can help you manage these costs by providing coverage for various dental treatments and procedures. It also provides coverage for unexpected dental emergencies, such as severe toothaches, chipped or broken teeth, or other dental injuries. This coverage can help alleviate the financial burden of unexpected dental expenses.

2. Preventive Care:

Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are essential for good oral health. Dental health insurance typically covers preventive care services like routine check-ups, cleanings, and fluoride treatments, which can help prevent costly dental problems in the future.

3. Coverage for Pre-Existing Dental Conditions:

Dental health insurance can provide coverage if you have pre-existing dental conditions requiring ongoing treatment. This coverage can help ensure you receive the necessary care without incurring high out-of-pocket costs.

4. Comprehensive Coverage for the Whole Family:

Dental health insurance typically offers coverage for the whole family, including dependents. This comprehensive coverage can help ensure that everyone in the family has access to necessary dental care and treatments without worrying about the cost.

Features Of Dental Insurance

1. Most health insurance plans do not provide coverage for dental treatment because it is considered cosmetic.

2. Dental insurance typically covers root canal treatment, fillings, extractions, diagnostic tests, oral check-ups, X-rays, preventive care, and any injury due to an accident.

3. Dental treatments done in hospitals under anaesthesia due to injuries, illness, or accidents are covered.

4. Cosmetic surgeries, dentures, implants, jaw alignment procedures, prostheses, and orthodontics are out of coverage.

5. You cannot file any claims during a waiting period. The sum insured is also limited.

Benefits Of Health Insurance That Covers Dental Treatments

With no standalone dental insurance plans available, you need to compare best health insurance plans based on coverage, benefits, and cost and choose a good plan that covers dental treatments. The advantages offered are:

1. Expensive dental treatments will be covered:

A single visit to your dentist can be quite expensive due to the high cost of most dental procedures. If you have health insurance with dental coverage, you will be financially protected against in-patient dental procedures as well as OPD dental treatments.

2. Good Oral Health:

Whether it is for a routine oral check-up or any tooth problems, do you think twice before going to a dentist because it is expensive? A dental insurance plan will take away your financial worries; you can monitor your dental health on a regular basis and keep your teeth healthy. Regular check-ups help avoid and treat issues before they become severe.

3. Cashless hospitalisation:

If you need to be hospitalised for a few days because of a tooth procedure, you can avail of cashless hospitalisation in any of the network hospitals of the insurance provider. The hospital will receive the payment directly from the insurer.

4. Tax benefits:

In addition to the coverage, you can also save money on taxes by availing of tax deductions on your health insurance premium.

How to get dental insurance in India?

As most health insurance providers do not offer dental coverage, the question is how to get dental insurance in India and is dental treatment covered in health insurance? Well, you need to check with the insurance provider if dental insurance is included in your medical insurance because some policies come with inbuilt dental coverage. The second option is to opt for OPD add-on coverage along with the base healthcare plan. This will cover the procedures which are not considered cosmetic. Once you have shortlisted the plans, compare the policies and purchase the one which suits your needs and pocket.

Things To Remember When Buying Dental Insurance

While purchasing dental insurance in India, here are a few factors that you should consider:

1. Sufficient coverage:

Dental treatments and procedures are quite expensive. So, while buying dental insurance in India, make sure the plan offers adequate coverage for treatments, such as extractions, fillings, root canals, etc.

2. Compare plans:

Comparing different healthcare plans will help you choose the one that suits your needs. For instance, before you choose a plan, consider whether you need coverage only for in-patient procedures or both in-patient procedures as well as procedures like tooth fillings, extractions, and root canal treatments.

3. Check inclusions & exclusions:

Check if the dental insurance in India covers routine check-ups, basic oral treatments, preventive care treatments, and if there’s a waiting period. It’s also important to check the policy exclusions, as most dental plans do not cover cosmetic surgeries and treatments.

4. Network hospitals:

One of the important things to consider while buying dental health insurance is checking the network hospitals. Go for an insurance provider with a wide network of hospitals so that you can easily access quality treatment whenever required and also avail of cashless hospitalisation. Some dental procedures due to accidents, illness, or injury need hospitalisation.

Conclusion

Certain dental procedures can cost a fortune, but most health insurance policies do not cover dental insurance in India. Some policies have inbuilt dental coverage, while others cover the procedures as part of OPD coverage. So, if you are looking to buy a healthcare plan with dental coverage, it is advisable to conduct research, read the policy terms and conditions and make an informed decision.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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