It's common knowledge that the National Health Service (NHS) provides dental care for all, covering clinically necessary treatments for oral health. NHS coverage includes checkups, emergency care, and treatments for dental problems and injuries.
But for some, relying solely on the NHS for their dental or oral care is not viable as coverage has limitations. One way to mitigate this coverage gap is to obtain private dental insurance.
In this article, Insurance Business lists the biggest dental insurance providers in the UK. We will also discuss what types of coverage they offer. You can use this article as basis for choosing the best providers and recommend their insurance policies to your clients.
In 2025, the UK dental insurance market is valued at approximately £995.9 million, with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 5 percent, from 2024 to 2033.
These are the biggest players offering dental insurance in the UK in terms of annual revenue. Note that some of the figures reflect total revenue for the company’s health insurance business.
Total revenue: €17.5 billion (around £14.7 billion – health insurance)
Headquarters: London
AXA is a global insurance and asset management company with origins dating back to a small mutual insurer in Normandy, France, in the early 19th century. Thanks to major acquisitions and strategic international expansion, AXA has become one of the world’s leading insurers. The company offers a wide range of life and health, and property and casualty insurance products apart from savings and asset management services. Dental insurance is part of its diverse product portfolio. Here are the dental plans they offer:
This plan primarily covers the costs of NHS treatments like hygiene treatments, check-ups, periodontal treatments, x-rays, fillings, and crowns. There is no limit on check-up claims in this plan.
AXA Core Plan offers worldwide coverage for emergency dental treatments, including up to £2,500 for dental accidents. The limit for such coverage is up to four separate incidents.
When it comes to coverage for oral cancer, AXA Core provides a cash benefit of £60 per night (up to three nights) for hospitalised policyholders. Members can make claims on NHS treatments a month after their policy starts.
Typically covers 50 percent of the cost of private dental treatment after a three-month waiting period. Hygiene treatments, check-ups, x-rays fillings, crowns, and dentures are covered. Dental emergencies are covered here and abroad.
Members of this plan can reimburse up to 80 percent of their dental treatment payments, with a maximum of £400 per year in cashback. As with the Core Plan, the Premium plan provides oral cancer cover and a hospital cash benefit.
Total revenue: £7.05 billion (all businesses)
Headquarters: Nottingham, UK
Boots is part of the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) international segment. While this company is primarily a pharmacy business, Boots began offering health and travel insurance in the late 1990s. It then opened six “trial” dental clinics that offered a mix of private and NHS treatments. Later, the company launched its own dental insurance, including plans that provided cash lump sums to help cover dental costs.
In its latest financials, the company reported total sales of over £7 billion. This sales figure includes the revenue of Boots UK and other international segments, including Walgreens pharmacy sales in the US. The dental insurance plans Boots offers in the UK include:
This plan requires members to obtain their services from an NHS-affiliated dentist. The Core Plan covers basic dental procedures like check-ups, fillings, and dentures that the NHS would generally cover. Members receive 100 percent reimbursement but only up to a defined limit.
Emergency dental treatments and routine treatments are covered up to £500. The plan also provides a hospital cash benefit of up to £5,000, equivalent to £100 per night up to 50 nights, if a policyholder must be hospitalised for dental treatment. The only caveat is that members must wait after a three-month qualifying period for the policy to start. Monthly premiums can range from £9.75 to £10.82.
This plan covers NHS dental treatment, reimbursing both routine and emergency private dental treatment costs. Members can have their routine dental treatments reimbursed up to £750.
Meanwhile, emergency dental treatment with worldwide coverage has a limit of £1,000. There is also a hospital cash benefit of up to a maximum of £5,000, equal to £100 per night (up to 50 nights maximum).
Finally, this plan gives an oral cancer treatment benefit of up to £5,000. Monthly premiums for this plan can range from about £14.25 to £15.82.
The Private Level 2 plan covers all NHS dental treatments. Reimbursements for routine treatments are up to £1,000, with emergency treatments covered worldwide at up to £1,500. As with the other plans, this plan features a hospital cash benefit of up to £5,000 (£100 per night up to 50 nights).
As for the oral cancer treatment, this provides cover at £10,000, the highest among the dental plans offered by Boots. Monthly premiums for this plan range from £20.25 to £23.
Total revenue: £5.2 billion (Global, Ireland & UK)
Headquarters: London, UK
Bupa is one of the largest health insurers and healthcare providers in the UK and internationally. As of 2024, Bupa achieved a couple of major milestones: that of increasing its members to 60 million worldwide and increasing digital engagement via their Blua app, which is used by 7.5 million people. The insurer operates as a private company with no shareholders and limited by guarantee, ensuring that the money it makes is reinvested into its business.
Bupa offers a diverse range of health services like private medical insurance, dental care via its network of dental centres, outpatient clinics, and digital health services.
Bupa is held in high regard by consumers and its diverse dental plans contribute to its favourable image. As of March of 2025, Bupa’s dental care plans and services consistently rate nearly five stars in online reviews, placing it among the best dental insurance companies in the UK. These are the dental plans it offers:
These are comprehensive dental plans that help policyholders pay for the cost of a variety of dental treatments. These treatments include:
Benefits of these plans include a 20 percent discount on treatment costs at over 360 Bupa-accredited dental clinics across the country. The company also has a dedicated Oral HealthLine for booking appointments and getting medical advice. The plans include worldwide coverage for dental emergencies. Participating clinics offer instant claim settlement and policyholders have the option to use their current private dentist or switch to a Bupa-accredited practice.
These are customised dental insurance products for businesses of all sizes, providing support to employees with cashback features for dental treatments. Bupa’s business dental plans feature a wide network of dentists and different practices with discounts and instant claims.
Don’t forget that dental insurance is a small part of business insurance – read our guide on essential insurance that your business clients will need.
This covers new dental conditions that occur after the policy starts. Dental Cover 20 includes:
Note that some of these benefits have waiting periods.
Bupa's orthodontic plans are embedded in some plans and includes access to a specialist network called Total Orthodontics.
This is a subscription-based dental payment plan that is designed to spread out the cost of having routine dental care. It provides coverage for regular check-ups and hygiene treatments along with a 10 percent discount on certain private dental treatments.
Bupa Smile Plan is best suited for individuals who need regular preventive care without coverage for restorative treatments. These plans usually include two check-ups and two hygiene appointments every year.
Apart from the routine plan, there is an “enhanced” plan option with additional dental hygiene appointments for individuals with specific oral health needs.
Total revenue: £698.4 million (health insurance)
Headquarters: London, UK
Vitality Health offers dental insurance as part of their optical, dental and hearing cover in the UK. Their plans mostly cover routine dental check-ups, hygiene appointments, dental treatments, and emergency dental care.
This insurer remains in its position as one of the UK's top three health insurers by market share, trailing behind Bupa and AXA. Vitality Health serves about 1.9 million members as of early 2025.
It only offers a single plan for dental treatments and it’s part of a collective coverage plan.
This unified plan has a dental treatment component that reimburses up to 100 percent of routine dental and hygiene appointments. The limit is set at £100 per plan year. Meanwhile, dental treatments are reimbursed up to 80 percent of the cost at 400 per plan year and emergency dental treatments are covered 100 percent up to up to £2,500 per claim, with a limit of two claims per year.
This plan also includes orthodontic treatments, but with certain limits. These are only covered for members who are aged below 18 when their procedures start. The average monthly premiums for this plan range from about £33.70 to £49.36, depending on coverage and individual factors.
Total revenue: £220.5 million (health & dental insurance)
Headquarters: Hampshire, UK
Simplyhealth is one of the UK’s biggest dental insurance provider. The company provides health plans that allow members to reimburse dental treatments, optical treatments, prescriptions, and physiotherapy for a monthly premium. Members also have the benefit of remote telehealth GP consultations via a smartphone app. Simplyhealth holds a large portion of the health insurance market, with a significant part of this in corporate healthcare plans. Members also benefit from remote telehealth GP consultations through a smartphone app.
This provides coverage for routine dental care, emergencies, and treatments through the NHS or privately operated dental clinics. Features of this plan include claims for:
Claims for the Simplyhealth Dental Plan are known to be processed quickly and easily via an app or online, with no excess to pay the dentist. The plan also includes global accident and emergency cover for trips lasting up to 28 days.
This plan offers dental insurance coverage that is tailored to the customer’s needs. Denplan focuses mainly on preventive care and spreading the cost of private dental treatments. Its plans include:
Denplan Essentials – covers routine check-ups and x-rays, but does not cover more complex treatments like crowns or fillings
Denplan Care – covers more extensive but routine care, along with restorative treatments like fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, and emergency dental cover; it does not cover laboratory work or implants
Denplan Hygiene – covers hygienic treatments like tooth cleaning
Denplan is offered across the UK by over 6,700 accredited dentists, servicing over 1.4 million patients.
Total revenue: £170.2 million (all lines)
Headquarters: Somerset, UK
WPA is a specialist health insurer that has been in operations since 1901. This company works as a not-for-profit organisation mainly focused on providing affordable and high-quality health insurance. Their products include private medical, dental insurance, and cash plans. WPA is renowned for its innovative products, excellent customer service, and commitment to providing value to policyholders over shareholders’ profit. These are the dental plans they offer:
This covers NHS treatments only, fully reimbursing the costs for general dental treatments after a 30-day qualifying period. Level 1 also covers 75 percent of emergency dental treatments, but up to a maximum of £500 and for two claims.
Members who need to stay in a hospital for their dental treatment get a cash benefit of £200 per day, up to a maximum of £2,000. Dental injury treatment and oral cancer treatment each have a £10,000 limit. Monthly premiums start at around £11.
This plan provides cover for both private and NHS treatments. It reimburses up to 75 percent of general dental treatment costs, with a maximum of up to £250 per year. Emergency dental procedures are covered up to 75 percent, with annual limits of 1,000 for up to four claims.
Dental injuries and oral cancer treatment have a £20,000 and £10,000 limit, respectively. The hospital cash benefit for this plan is £200 per day, up to a maximum of £2,000. Monthly premiums start at around £15.70.
Total revenue: £129.5 million (supplemental health insurance)
Headquarters: Surrey, UK
Founded in the US, Unum has extensive operations in the UK and is a leading provider of employee benefits and insurance solutions. Unum is renowned for offering tailored insurance plans that enable employers support their workers’ health and financial wellbeing.
Unum is recognised for integrating digital tools and preventive care. They lean towards using innovative solutions that can lessen employee absenteeism and improve overall health outcomes. They achieve this via these plans:
This plan provides immediate coverage for essential preventive care like hygienist visits, routine dental check-ups and routine treatments. It also covers treatment identified or recommended before the policy starts, with mouth cancer as the only exception. These treatments are reimbursed by this plan at equivalent NHS treatment charges if the policyholder chooses private treatment.
The plan offers great flexibility, as members can visit any NHS or private dental practice anywhere in the world and still get covered. The plan includes extras like access to the Toothfairy digital dental service app and BenefitHub for retail discounts.
The Standard plan covers routine dental care like exams and cleanings and more complex and costly treatments like crowns and bridges. This plan is meant to make oral health care more affordable for policyholders and give them access to a broad network of dentists.
Members can easily manage their claims and benefits online with a secure member’s portal, making the process more transparent and convenient.
This premium plan offers full immediate coverage for both preventive and essential restorative treatments. Policyholders can benefit from higher reimbursement limits and enhanced privileges apart from the usual check-ups and costly fillings, crowns, and implants.
The plan also covers pre-existing conditions, except mouth cancer. Members can reimburse claims from the cover start date. Orthodontic treatments are also covered for children and adults, but only under specific conditions. Members can get treatment at any NHS or private dental practice anywhere in the world and have access to the Toothfairy and BenefitHub apps.
Total revenue: £129.5 million (Unum UK)
Headquarters: London, UK
Dencover is another dental insurance provider but operates under the trading name of Unum Limited, making it a brand that works under Unum. As with most other dental insurers in the UK, Dencover offers a range of plans that cover NHS and private dental treatments. Here are their plans:
This NHS-focused plan offers immediate cover for routine check-ups and hygiene treatments at 100 percent coverage. Procedures like fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, and dentures are covered with a small annual payment but there is a two-month qualifying period.
The NHS plan does not cover pre-existing conditions, meaning that any dental injuries or issues that were present before the start date of the plan are excluded. However, after a 15-day waiting period, dental accident coverage begins and is applicable worldwide. Maximum coverage for dental injuries due to accidents is £2,500 and maximum coverage for emergency dental treatment is up to £425 a year.
Another unique feature of this plan is that it provides oral cancer coverage with a one-time lifetime payment of £2,500; although this does not cover hospitalization costs.
This plan covers 100 percent of routine check-ups and gives as much as 80 percent coverage for dental hygiene treatments. Dencover Silver also covers dental fillings, dentures, and root canals at 55 percent coverage. The plan has a maximum limit of £210 for procedural work every year, after a two-month qualifying period.
Claims for pre-existing conditions are not covered, although the coverage for dental accidents worldwide is £5,000. Coverage for emergency dental treatments is capped at £850 after a 15-day waiting period. As for oral cancer cover, members receive £50 daily cash cover after three months and a £5,000 cover after a three-month waiting period.
Routine dental exams are fully covered in this plan, while hygiene treatments are covered at 80 percent. Restorative dental work is covered at 55 percent with a yearly limit of £410 after a two-month qualifying period. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Gold plans offer worldwide coverage for dental accidents at £7,500 and coverage for emergency dental treatments at £850 after 15 days. After a three-month waiting period, members can receive hospital cash cover at £50 per night. Oral cancer coverage of up to £7,000 is available for members after a two-month wait.
The Platinum Plan covers routine dental exams at £80 and hygiene treatments at 80 percent, with a limit of up to £95. Procedural dental work is covered up to 55 percent with an annual limit of £610 after a two-month qualifying period.
As with all the other plans, there is no cover for pre-existing claims, although there is worldwide dental accident coverage. For the Platinum Plan, this cover is at £10,000 and emergency dental treatment is £1,100 with a 15-day wait. Members can receive a £50 daily hospital cash benefit after three months and oral cancer coverage worth £10,000 after a two-month qualifying period.
This plan covers routine exams and up to 80 percent coverage for hygiene treatments up to £125. Members can have their fillings, crowns, and root canals reimbursed up to 55 percent of the cost with a yearly maximum of £810 after a two-month qualifying period.
Pre-existing conditions are not covered, but members receive worldwide dental accident coverage worth £12,000 and emergency dental cover worth £1,100 after a 15-day qualifying period. This plan also provides a £50 per night hospital cash benefit and oral cancer coverage of up to £12,000 with a two-month waiting period.
What sets the Diamond Plan apart from Dencover’s other plans is that it is the most comprehensive plan and gives the highest benefits. This is best for those who need extensive restorative dental care and maximum coverage.
Those who have a lot of knowledge about the dental insurance industry in the UK may wonder why Cigna was not included. The unfortunate news is that Cigna recently exited the UK dental insurance sector and sold its business to Unum Dental for an undisclosed amount.
The NHS and private dental insurance plans only cover dental care and treatments essential for their members’ oral health. While teeth whitening treatments are cosmetic in nature and are not covered by the NHS, some dental plans pay for these and other treatments that the NHS does not typically cover.
It’s no secret that NHS dental care is available to everyone in the UK for the most essential treatments. While it’s free or subsidised for children, pregnant women, low-income individuals, and other groups, NHS treatments may be difficult to obtain due to long waiting times and availability of dentists.
Private dental plans can be worthwhile for those who need more extensive treatments or cosmetic treatments not covered by the NHS and struggle to get an appointment with an NHS dentist.
Private dental plans afford quicker and more flexible appointments, sometimes during weekends or evenings. Taking on insurance for dental treatments can also help your clients manage the cost of more complex and costly procedures instead of paying directly out-of-pocket.
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