Best Health Insurance For Dental in Australia To Put A Smile On Your Face

Billie Explores knows that oral health is very important after all you want that smile to be looking good! He also knows that taking care of your teeth can cost a lot of money. Did you know that The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) says that in 2019-20, one in five Australians over 15 skipped or put off going to the dentist because of the cost.

Maintaining your teeth with the help of a dentist is important, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. A good dental plan on your health insurance can help you take care of your teeth.

Billy knows there are lots of questions about the best health insurance for dental in Australia, and he wants to get you smiling quickly! We will answer the big questions like: What options do you have for private health insurance and to compare health Insurance in Australia.? How do you do a private health insurance comparison? What is dental insurance, and is it worth it? How do you compare extras cover health insurance?

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What is the best health insurance for dental in Australia, and can I get it just for my teeth?

You aren’t likely to find dental insurance in Australia that only covers dental care on its own (although it would be great as we could definitely say it was the best health insurance for dental in Australia), and hospital insurance usually doesn’t cover dental care either. Private hospital policies can help pay for dental care and surgeries done in the hospital, like day surgeries to remove wisdom teeth. However, dental care is mostly covered by extras health insurance.

Extras health insurance policies can cover a wide range of dental services, from general and routine ones like cleanings, scales, fillings, and extractions to major ones like crowns, bridges, dentures, or plates.

This dental insurance will help pay for some of the costs of dental care.

You can get a hospital and extras health insurance plan that covers dental care and gives you other benefits from both.

What dental services are covered by extras insurance?

If you need dental work, your private health insurance can give you different levels of coverage to meet your needs and help pay for the work.

Extras policies usually cover a variety of services that can be put into four main groups: general dental, major dental, endodontic, and orthodontic. What’s in your policy will depend on how much coverage you have.

General Dental

General dental helps pay for preventive care like oral exams, scale and cleans, simple fillings, mouthguards, x-rays, tooth extractions, and in some cases, even teeth whitening. You can get coverage for general dental care if you buy an extras policy and wait the required amount of time before getting any treatments.

Major Dental

Most of the time, major dental care includes more complicated procedures like:

  • Tooth extraction is when a decayed or broken tooth is taken out (can be basic dental or major dental depending on specific item numbers the dentists use and the policy you are on).
  • Wisdom teeth extraction: taking out wisdom teeth if they hurt other teeth or gums (can be basic dental or major dental depending on specific item numbers the dentists use and the policy you are on – at times this can also be performed in a hospital and may require private hospital insurance).
  • Tooth decay and damage can be fixed with complex fillings.
  • Crowns and bridges are dental implants that can fix one or more broken teeth.
  • Veneers are thin implants that cover the front of the tooth and are usually used for cosmetic reasons.
  • Dentures are false teeth that can be taken out.

Endodontics is the field of dentistry that deals with treating the soft parts of teeth.

Root canal therapy is an endodontic procedure that involves digging into a broken tooth to remove inflamed tissue.

Periodontics is the treatment of diseases of the gum tissue, such as gingivitis, infection, and swelling.

Orthodontic work, on the other hand, is the process of putting teeth and jaws in the right place. This is usually done with braces or Invisalign.

Depending on how much insurance you have, you might not be able to get all of these treatments and services. Complex dental care, like orthodontics or endodontics, may only be covered by extras policies with a higher level of coverage.

Since each fund’s extras policy is different, some treatments that are usually covered by Major Dental could be covered by General Dental instead, and vice versa.

It’s important to look over your policy often to make sure you have the best coverage for your needs. Of course, the best way to do that is to to compare health insurance in Australia and do a private health insurance comparison. You can also do an extras insurance comparison.

Does the best health insurance for dental in Australia pay for hospital dental work?

Yes, dental surgery in a private hospital is covered by health insurance (e.g. surgery to remove wisdom teeth or dental implant surgery). However, there is a difference in that it is covered under hospital insurance, extras insurance. Also, dental surgery is usually covered by health insurance plans that are Bronze Plus, Silver, or Gold.
How long do I have to wait to use my dental health insurance?

How long you have to wait before you can use your dental benefits depends on your health fund (also called an insurer) and the treatment you want to use them for.

Each health fund decides how long you have to wait for extras policies on its own. Here are some examples of how long you might have to wait for dental insurance:

2 months

General dental usually has a two-month waiting period. This means that if you want your health insurance to help pay for your cleaning, scaling, or fillings, you may have to wait two months after getting your policy.

12 months

If you need a major dental, endodontic, or orthodontic procedure, you will usually have to wait a year before you can use your health insurance to pay for it.

12 + months

Some expensive procedures, like orthodontics and braces, can take up to a year or even two or three years to complete.

It’s important to get insurance early so that you’ve already served the waiting periods by the time you start to have problems. When you compare and buy extra health insurance, make sure you know about any waiting periods that apply.

Differences Between Medicare and Private Health Insurance

There are many differences between Medicare and private health insurance when you’re talking dental. Medicare will cover work done in a hospital (and you will be impacted by waiting times), however won’t cover you for any work done in the dentist’s chair or at a dental surgery. This is what it’s a great idea to find the best health insurance for dental in Australia.

Best Health Insurance For Dental In Australia – Let’s Get You Smiling

Extras cover that includes dental is always very important, and in fact dental extras cover should be essential as preventative items such as oral check ups will help alleviate any potential issues in the long run, and help keep you smiling.

Find The Best Health Insurance For Dental In Australia Now By Doing A Health Insurance in Australia Comparison

So now you know a bit more about how dental works with extras, as well as private health insurance. The best way to get the best health insurance for dental in Australia for your needs is to compare health insurance in Australia (and do an extras insurance comparison too). And the easiest way to do that is to do a private health insurance comparison through Billy Explores. Save time and explore potential savings through our panel of health fund providers. Start your private health insurance comparison today, and don’t forget to do an extras insurance comparison.

Important Links For Private Health Insurance In Australia Comparison

Insurance Comparison
Compare Health Insurance
Difference Between Medicare and Private Health Insurance
Compare Private Health Insurance
Compare Health Insurance In Australia

Dental Health Insurance FAQs

  • Does health insurance cover visits to any dentist?

    The best health insurance for dental in Australia will definitely cover your trips to the dentist. But some health funds offer extra perks, like not charging a gap payment if you go to a dental clinic or healthcare specialist with whom they have a partnership or their own dental clinic.

    You should also check to see if your fund lets you make claims through HICAPS. This system lets the dentist handle your health fund claim right away, so you don’t have to pay the bill and then ask the fund for the money back.

  • What is the best health insurance for dental?

    The best health insurance for dental is extras health insurance you actually use. The best way to get started is to do a dental insurance in Australia comparison through Billy Explores. You will be able to explore potential savings and save time and effort by comparing health insurance in Australia and doing a private health insurance comparison.

  • Is private dental insurance worth it?

    Routine check-ups at the dentist alone can add up to over and above what you might pay for dental insurance. To make sure you get the most out of your cover, make sure you compare your provider options and get cover with benefits you’ll actually use.