Avoid the pain of a visit to the dentist

Dentistry in the UK is painfully expensive. A Government survey has found that one in five of us go without dental treatment because of the cost. Assuming you’re not among the 6% who claim, rather alarmingly, that they “self-treat”, how can you cut the costs?

The cheapest route is to register with an NHS dentist who is obliged to do all work on a fixed-price scale. Band one treatment, covering an examination and advice, will set you back £15.90; band two (fillings and root canal work) is £43.60; and band three (crowns, dentures or bridges) comes in at £194. Each band covers all the work needed during that session, so you’ll pay £43.60 whether you need one filling or five. Always check whether you can get NHS treatment before looking at other options – your local Primary Care Trust should be able to help. The trouble is, finding NHS dentists isn’t easy due to the rising numbers being tempted into lucrative private work. If you have to go down the private route, then remember that costs vary, so consider a second opinion on non-routine work. Take root canal treatment – according to The Independent, Gordon Brown’s private dentist in Primrose Hill charges £650 per tooth, compared to the national private average of around £340. Of course, that’s still not cheap – so how can you cover the extra expense?

Dental insurance is one option. If your employer offers a plan, then join it – although the benefit is taxable, it still usually works out far cheaper than buying your own policy. But if not, and you have troublesome teeth, private insurance might still make sense. You’ll pay a monthly premium, which varies widely according to your age and level of cover chosen. A comparison site, such as Moneysupermarket.com, can help you find the right policy. Alternatively, 6,000 private dentists offer “capitation” plans, which spread the cost of treatment over the year. The biggest provider is Denplan with 1.8 million registered users. Premiums vary according to the state of your teeth when you sign up. The downside is you pay the same fixed amount (on average £240 a year) whether or not you need treatment. Plus you are tied to the same dentist while the cover is in place.

A better alternative for many, combining flexibility and lower premiums, is a healthcare cash plan. Unlike private insurance, these simply make a fixed cash contribution to a range of NHS and private procedures, including dentistry and eye care, in return for a monthly premium. You choose the treatment provider and then complete and send a standard claim form after treatment.

But the best bet for most people, particularly if you have good teeth, says Moneysavingexpert.com, might be simply to put aside emergency money in a high-interest account each month, rather than pay for a plan you may rarely, if ever, need – and invest in a decent toothbrush.