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One of the scariest aspects of everyday life is going to see a dentist. A simple toothache can turn a happy day into a painful experience. And we can’t ignore the expenses associated that can’t assume to be easy in your pocket.
Today, with the advent of dental care policies, a visit to the dentist’s clinic is painless both in terms of advanced procedures and for your pockets.
It would do well to understand why health insurance companies do not logically cover these dental procedures. It is because dental procedures fall under a category called "cosmetic procedures" and are, in fact, exclusions under most of the health insurance policies. However, it is impossible to deny the importance of dental hygiene and care in our lives.
And thus, some general insurance companies have developed policies to include dental insurance to ensure that every aspect of human health is covered.
Dental care is an expensive affair. A dental implant can cost somehow around Rs 35,000. Multiple implants combined with dentist fees and other costs will burn a hole into your pocket, and given that no one has that amount in spare lying around. This certainly breaks an immaculately planned budget. Because health or life insurance covers dental damage in the event of an accident that has dental damage as a collateral damage factor, where a dental insurance will cover you for the expenses incurred and you do not even need to be involved in an accident to claim for dental care. This attracts a cold shoulder from insurers because there is no accurate risk anticipation when it comes to dental health and hygiene.
With a surge in healthcare costs, dental care that undoubtedly comes in the same category draws a peer attention. As we can’t neglect a dental issue, at times they may require constant medical guidance and proper treatment. Again it involves a considerable portion of monetary investment that can be a burden on your pocket. Here comes a dental insurance plan into the picture that covers those expenses.
This is a dicey topic as procedures can be categorized into two sub-categories, namely preventive and diagnostic. Some of the procedures dental plans might cover are
Bridges and dental braces might be covered and is at the discretion of the insurer, so are implants. However, because implants and veneers fall under cosmetic implants, they might not be actively endorsed as there are only a few insurance companies that offer dental insurance as a standalone policy or a rider.
Anyone who has bared the brunt of toothaches and other dental discomforts knows how worse it gets. Some of the benefits of having dental insurance at your beck and call can be listed as below.
Dental plans have their exclusions, most of them falling under their parent policy's exclusions. However, there are exceptions to these, as some health policies offer more rounded coverage than the others. On a general note, some of these exceptions are:
Cosmetic procedures like implants and veneers
The list below contains a list of all the companies that offer dental insurance either as a standalone policy or in the form or a rider.
Aditya Birla Saral Health plan is among those policies that offer dental coverage. The dental benefit is offered under the basic health insurance policy which can be availed for 1-3 years. Under this coverage, dental treatment expenses are covered up to a certain limit, where Rs 10 lakh is offered as total policy sum insured.
One of the few big players that offer dental insurance that is comprehensive and offers coverage for dental treatments necessitated by an acute injury that requires hospitalisation.
Bharti AXA, HDFC Ergo health plan, does not offer coverage for dental procedures as a routine benefit, rather only offers when it is an accidental damage, up to a certain limit.
Chola MS Travel Insurance, as the name suggests, offers coverage against dental expenses incurred while traveling.
Another comprehensive health plan that offers dental treatment coverage is Maxima health by HDFC Ergo Health. The policy offers outpatient dental treatment under 2 SI categories Rs 5000 and Rs 7000. However, no compensation is offered towards a cosmetic treatment.
SBI’s entry into plans offering dental health benefits offers coverage against dental expenses incurred due to surgeries, procedures, and consultations as long as they are not a result of damages from an accident.
| Plan | Accidental coverage | Standalone/Rider |
| Aditya Birla BSLI Saral Health Plan | NO | Rider |
| Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Policy | YES | Rider |
| Bharati AXA Smart Health | YES | Rider |
| Chola MS Travel Insurance | YES | Rider |
| HDFC Ergo Health Maxima Pla | NO | Rider |
| SBI Life Smart Insurance | NO | Rider |
Disclaimer: *Paisawiki does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.
Because dental coverage is not an exclusive policy offered by any insurance company in India and because they are offered as extra benefits with health insurance, the eligibility criteria for most health insurance remain the same. The minimum age of entry can range anywhere between 91 days to 65 years.
Dental coverage spans anywhere between Rs 5000 for policies that offer protection against simple procedures like extractions to a maximum up to Rs 25000 for more complex procedures like root canals and, in some cases, implants.
All of these policies can be bought online. The documents you would be needing are:
All health insurances have a co-payment or deductible clause. Rather specifically so in the case of dental coverage. Co-pay is where a part of the expenses incurred are paid by the insured out of his/her own pockets, and the rest is taken care of by the insurance company.
In the case of a deductible, the insured will have to shell out an amount from his own pockets, following which the insurance company will release the amount of the claim above the deductible paid. In either case, it is safe to assume that most dental procedures will only be partial coverages.
Like any other health insurance claim, dental insurance claims are straightforward because any claim made towards dental expenses is automatically assumed as a claim made against the parent policy.
Dental plans, because they are offered as benefits with a master health plan, cannot be renewed as a standalone until the parent policy is renewed. Once a claim is made, the dental benefit ceases to exist. However, the parent policy will continue to exist till either the sum insured is reached or, if no claim is made during the term of the policy, until it is renewed. Most health insurance policies are annual and do not have long term options. So, subject to underwriting and loading, if any, a dental coverage rider can only be renewed along with the master health plan it is associated with.
Not all companies offer dental coverage. However, those who cover, most of these policies are available online, so the process is pretty easy and streamlined.
Most websites will ask you for basic information like your registered email address and your mobile number. Once you log on to the website of your choice, you will have to fill these fields in.
A premium calculator will ask you for the sum insured you are looking for, and your age. Please keep in mind that the sum insured the calculator asks you for the parent policy, not for the dental as most of the insurers offer dental coverage either as in-built cover under the basic health policy or as a rider.
Once entered, the calculator will return a rudimentary quote highlighting your would-be premium, tenure, and sum insured.
Upon proceeding, the website will ask you for details like your name as it appears on your official documents, age, date of birth, and what type of plan you are looking for. (Family floater or individual).
Upon entering these details, you can choose the riders you would want to add to your base plan. Here is where dental insurance can usually be seen.
Once this information is entered, the website will give you another quote, this time an actual quote carrying every bit of information that you would need towards your plan.
Payments can be made using a debit card or, in most cases, payment gateways like google pay, Paytm, or Phonepe.
Once the payment is successful, the policy is activated instantly, with a free look period of 15 days in case of most policies.
However, if the underwriters find unanticipated risk factors, they might amend your policy.
Dental insurance policies are yet to take off in India. However, we might see a surge of exclusive dental insurance policies soon that does not require a health plan to take it under its wings.
Ans. Although dental insurance is not offered as a standalone policy; some general insurance companies offer dental coverage as add-ons to their health plans. Some companies that offer dental coverage are LIC, SBI, ICICI Prudential, Bharti AXA, and Cholamandalam.
Ans. Unfortunately, not all policies do, as their parent policy has cosmetic procedures listed as an exception. However, it is debatable if implants and replacements should be excluded from dental procedures.
Ans. Technically, yes. On an overview, only wisdom teeth extractions are covered. However, you might need to ask your provider to modify your health insurance to suit your requirements. This will also cause your premiums to rise.
Ans. To an extent, yes. Procedures are categorized under diagnostic or preventive. It depends on what kind of coverage your health insurance gives you. Root canal coverage varies from company to company—research on which policies offer coverage on fillings and crowns.
