The dental insurance market as it stands
It is a challenging time in the private dental healthcare market. With Cigna having withdrawn from the dental insurance market several years ago, the number of major providers remains fairly constrained, leaving less competition and fewer options for group schemes.
Additionally, inflationary pressures and rising costs in private dental care have pushed premiums upward. As NHS dentistry struggles to fully recover its pre-pandemic capacity, more people are turning to private options, driving higher demand and cost pressure.
Why provide dental healthcare?
Access to dental care via the NHS in the UK is limited. As things stand, a dental health crisis is increasingly inevitable, with potential knock-on effects for both employees and employers. A survey found that 3 in 4 UK adults are not seeing a dentist regularly enough (in accordance with the recommendation of every 12-24 months)3. This could hint at not only a lack of accessibility of dental healthcare, but a lack of awareness for how important oral hygiene is. Luckily, these are two trends that adding dental insurance to your healthcare strategy can help to reverse.
Dental health is pivotal to overall health; beyond visible issues, such as gum disease and tooth decay, poor oral health can influence:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes control
- Sleep quality
- Confidence, anxiety and mental health
Because access to dental care via the NHS can often be delayed or not up to the same standard as private treatment, employees are increasingly relying on their employers to assist via private healthcare benefits. Dental coverage can therefore be a valuable element in your benefits suite, not only to support your people, but to help you attract and retain talent.
What dental support options are there?
While a full dental insurance plan can provide comprehensive cover and peace of mind to employees, other approaches exist. Whatever solution you choose should be tailored to your employees’ needs, aligned with your organisation’s values and strategy, and take into account budget and tax implications. Some alternatives and hybrid models to consider include:
- Health cash plans that give reimbursable allowances for dental services (rather than full insurance)
- Partial subsidy / voucher schemes for certain treatments
- Selective coverage for preventive and minor restorative work (with optional add-ons)
- Tiered dental plans (basic and premium levels)
- Restricting provider networks to manage cost
Whatever design is selected, the aim is to balance access, cost control, employee satisfaction and administrative simplicity.
Final thoughts
In a climate where access to NHS dental care is increasingly limited, integrating dental insurance into your employee benefits strategy is more than a nice-to-have but a forward-thinking move that can help demonstrate genuine care for your people. By helping employees access timely, quality dental treatment, you can help promote better health outcomes, reduce absence, and enhance overall wellbeing. Beyond the health benefits, offering dental cover also reinforces your commitment to a supportive and competitive workplace culture - one where your people truly have something to smile about.