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If we ask what you do for better dental health, most of you will say we brush our teeth twice a day.
And if we ask, anything else? You will be completely clueless.
Because people don’t think about Dental Insurance in Australia, as they believe their health insurance is already going to cover dental treatment.
Quick fact: Most health insurance policies don’t provide coverage for any dental treatment.
Which makes dental health insurance a must-have. Although we are not just going to say it, we are going to prove it to you.
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Dental Problems & Stats in Australia
Let’s have a look at some dental problem stats in Australia:
- Around 2 in 8 Australian children aged 7-15 had dental caries in their permanent teeth.
- Around 2 in 20 Australian adults had at least one permanent tooth which is still untreated.
- More than 4.4% of people between the age of 16-35 years are affected by dental problems in Australia, and this number is 11% in the case of 36-55 years old people.
- Over 1 million dental prescriptions were developed each year in Australia from 2013 to 2020.
- More than 35% of Australians are not considering dental checkup in their monthly routine because of unavailability of better dental services and the costs involved in it.
- 4 out of 12 people avoid or delay seeing a Dentist In Australia.
How does Dental Insurance in Australia Works?
Dental insurance in Australia is specifically covered in two different sections; the first section is a general dental cover, within which you would be able to get yourself treated for general dental problems.
While the second option is a major dental cover used whenever you get into an accident and face serious dental damage.
The overall procedure is very systematic, and every dental insurance in Australia comes with different annual payout limits for both general dental and significant dental cases. » Causes of Dental Phobia and How to Help Your Patients in 2023 Click Here
What’s covered?
Until now, we have discussed the different parts of dental insurance companies in Australia. Let us now have a look at what’s covered in those options:
1- General Dental Coverage
Under this dental coverage, you get check-ups, dental fillings, X-rays, scales, and cleaning. The general dental coverage is also considered as a type of prevention coverage with the help of which you are prevented from further dental issues.
In case if you have opted for general dental cover in Australia and a surgery or root canal came up then that is not going to be covered in the general plan.
2- Major Dental Coverage
Under major dental coverage, you get root canals, bridges, crowns, surgical removals of teeth, and more.
When you are selecting major dental coverage there could be some insurance providers who may not offer you cover for surgical removals and only root canal, bridges work might be added.
Hence whenever you are opting for major dental coverage keep a close eye on what’s covered in your plan.
The major benefit of dental insurance & coverage is that your insurance would cover an average of 50-60 percent of the fees.
Although most people think that it’s just 50-60 percent of the coverage, the fact is, this ultimately depends upon your service fee and the insurance package you have selected.
If you pick a costly insurance package, that can help you cover 70-80% of your dental care charges.
What do people think about dental insurance in Australia?
There are mixed reactions to this question, although the government of Australia is working towards making people aware of Dental insurance and hygiene. But still, more than 30% of people live without dental health insurance.
Most people believe that we would never require such services or coverage, and some people don’t get in touch with a dentist even after facing serious dental health issues.
People in Australia think they pay for their health check-ups directly to their doctors. Similarly, they can make payments in terms of dental health.
But if we closely look at the charges involved in generic and dental health check-ups, the dental check-ups are way costlier than other check-ups.
In this case, the insurance companies help pay a comparatively lower amount for dental check-ups and all the treatments involved.
Top 5 Dental Insurance Service Providers in Australia
Finding the best dental cover in Australia is tricky; we are here with the top 5 dental insurance service providers you can choose from.
| Dental Insurance Provider | USPs |
|---|---|
| 1- AHM | Looking for dental insurance for generic dental cover at decent charges? AHM is the answer for you. Starts from $12.85 per month Annual limit of $400 per person & $800 per family |
| 2- Health Insurance Fund of Australia (HIF) | If you are looking for the best dental insurance in Australia for minor dental coverage, then HIF is the option. Starts from $25.20 per month Unlimited annual limit on daily check-up, Other minor dental check-up starts from $750 per year. |
| 3- LaTrobe | Want to get major dental insurance by paying less? LaTrobe is the option for you. Starts from $33.15 per month Annual limit of $1500 for major dental insurance. |
| 4- Australian Unity | Looking for a dental insurance company with the most claims and lesser waiting period? Australian Unity is your answer. Starts from $117 per month Unlimited annual limit for minor dental coverage and $800 per year for major dental coverage. |
| 5- Frank Health Insurance | Looking for a mid-range option for general dental insurance? Frank Health Insurance is the option. Starts from $13.57 per month Annual limit of $350 per person. |
Factors to keep in mind while selecting the best dental insurance in Australia
There are plenty of dental insurance service providers in Australia, and picking up the ideal service provider for your requirement is challenging.
That’s why we are here with a list of factors based on which you can select your dental insurance service provider.
- The first factor to keep in your mind is your requirements, what kind of coverage you think you want? If you are looking for dental insurance for regular check-ups or major dental coverage. Figure out what you need and then filter out insurance provider options offering what you need. There are a few health insurance companies in Australia that offer regular or general dental insurance in your health insurance. In that case you should opt for major dental coverage only.
- Always look at the reviews of an insurance service provider, with the help of which you can know what kind of services and customer experience they offer. If you are picking up a service provider with excellent reviews, this assures you will get exceptional services.
- The charges are the third and most important factor to remember. Make sure you are selecting a dental insurance option that fits your budget; you can ask for the monthly charges based on which you can choose the right option.
- You would be able to find dental insurance for as low as $12.85 per month.
Tips to get your money’s worth from your dental insurance
Most people think that both health and dental insurance are similar, but in reality, these both are way different from each other.
Here in this section, we will discuss how not to treat dental insurance just like health insurance and get your money’s worth from your dental insurance.
Tip 1: Get in touch with a dentist, build a relationship and make them your friend. If you already have a dentist as a friend, you should get in touch with them for all your dental services.
This way, you would be able to get more comfortable with a dentist, which means you will regularly visit the dentist.
Regular or more visits mean better dental health. In such a case, you can opt for dental insurance that covers your major dental coverage, as this will save a lot of your money.
Tip 2: Some dental insurance plans in Australia cover 1-2 dental check-ups a year; make sure that you take complete advantage of those services and visit a dentist as per your plan.
Tip 3: If you exceed your annual dental insurance limit in that case, you are offered in-network discounts. Make sure you apply for those discounts every time you exceed your annual limit of dental insurance.
Tip 4: Make sure to opt for dental insurance before you both start showing up with dental issues. In most cases, people get in touch with an insurance provider when they start facing dental problems; make sure you are not making this mistake.
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Frequently Asked Questions
In most health insurances, dental insurance is not covered. Contact your health insurance to inquire about dental insurance and similar services.
While if you have picked up a high-profile health insurance company then there are high chances that your regular dental checkup would be covered in it already. Hence in that case you would only need major dental cover from dental insurance in Australia.
It depends upon what type of dental insurance services you opt for; a few insurance companies have a waiting period of 2-6 months. Hence, every time you request treatment, it will be approved within that waiting period.
This depends upon the package you select; if you want to get a cover for both generic and major dental coverage, then you should opt for a package that offers both.
Also if you already have health insurance or are going to opt for one soon, then we would suggest you move forward with one such health insurance company that covers your general dental insurance in the same plan.
In this case you won’t have to get general dental insurance, and if you want then you can opt for major dental coverage.
No. If the dental insurance is in your name, you should be going for the check-up. Also we have noticed that most of the people forget about their pending free dental check ups in their dental insurance package.
Secondly, even after getting dental insurance they don’t find it important to go for their free checkup. If you are someone like that make sure to not make such mistakes, as you have paid for those checkups.
No, and this is not just the case with Australian companies, if we talk about Saudi Arabia, US, or New Zealand no private company offers dental insurance to their employees.
It has been noticed that the companies offer health insurance upto a certain extent or medical leaves and nothing else.
You yourself would have to get such insurance.
Hence when we talk about government companies or authorities, most of them provide health insurance to their employees which covers general dental insurance and not major dental coverage.
BUPA Insurance is one of those companies in which you would be able to get dental insurance at zero waiting period. They have separate packages for all types of dental insurance, and if you are specifically looking for dental insurance with zero waiting period then you should select such a plan.
There is no such rule that dental insurance is mandatory in Australia, but most of us should get one because it helps us in uncertain times.
Here are a few reasons why you should get a dental insurance in Australia:
- It will help you save a lot of money whenever you are going for any type of dental treatment or checkup.
- It will help you in keeping a good dental health.
- There are a lot of health problems that we get because of unhygienic or improper dental health, hence we can get rid of such situations.
No, it’s not possible to get or use two dental insurances in a dental office at the same time for a bigger discount.
But, if you are looking for both general dental insurance and major dental insurance then you can opt for two different insurance companies. From which one insurance company can provide you general dental insurance, and the second company can offer you major dental insurance.
