17 June 2020

The value of dental cover during lockdown

Although dental practices are now allowed to open in England with dentists in other parts of the UK expected to be allowed to open soon, there won’t be a big rush of patients through the door as many practices struggle with the social distancing requirements and the need for PPE.

News reports indicate that only a third of dentists are open in England, with some running at a quarter of their usual capacity. There will be a huge backlog of routine care and treatment and NHS dentists will have severely reduced capacity.

The cost of dental care is also increasing. The cost of NHS dentistry increased by 5% in April 2019 (more than double the rate of inflation at the time), and is due to be reviewed again in October 2020 after being frozen in April due to the pandemic.

The cost of private dentistry is also expected to increase as dental practices need to fund the additional cost of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), while having to restrict patient volumes to maintain social distancing within the practice.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to make full use of any private cover you may have.

Whether you have a dental plan, a health cash plan, or have dental benefits included within your private medical insurance, now is the time to make sure you make the most of the benefits you have to help meet the cost of maintaining your dental health.