A closer look at Supplementary Insurance
05 September 2025
Written by Kim Sloman - RDN 125537, Senior Clinical Claims Handler, Denplan
Dentistry and Insurance - it's not as scary as it sounds! Supplementary Insurance can help cover dental costs that fall outside standard policies, offering added financial protection and peace of mind.
Denplan’s Supplementary Insurance is an addition to the contract dentists have with their patients, whether on Care, Essentials or Hygiene Plan. If the patients have opted to include it.
It is provided by Simplyhealth Access and is designed to cover the not-so-routine treatment that may be needed. With Supplementary Insurance, patients have cover for emergencies, both in the UK and abroad, for temporary treatment to free them from discomfort, within the benefit limits and terms and conditions of their policy.
The cover includes:
pain
crowns coming out
and bleeding gums.
The Supplementary Insurance cover includes support for the Patient as set out in the Policy Booklet, which includes, amongst other things, opening of surgeries for emergencies, telephone advice and domiciliary visits (as specified in the Policy Booklet). The only time permanent work is covered is in the event of a dental injury, which is determined as a sudden and unexpected blow to the mouth causing damage to the teeth.
Dental injury claims can be complex, so they are overseen by a registered Dental Nurse, with a registered Dentist on hand.
Implants are often considered the preferred treatment choice* in restorative dentistry, and it’s our job to keep up to date with the new technologies. The advancements I have witnessed in dental nursing in recent years have been truly impressive. Long gone are the days of mixing two composite pastes, squeezing them between a cellophane strip on a well-etched incisor, only available in C3 shade. Specialist practices have also sprung up in the past 30+ years in endodontics, orthodontics and implants.
For an extra cost, your patients may opt to include the Implant Upgrade Cover to their existing policy. This cover can be utilised when implants are required following a dental injury; it will cover up to £2100 per implant and also implant-related structures. Please refer to the policy booklet for exclusions to this policy.
So, we move forward with the times, we embrace the new technologies, the new advancements and try to incorporate them in our assessments of the claims. There will always be the staple treatments; some treatments never change.
Both Denplan Supplementary insurance and the Denplan Implant Upgrade Cover, underwritten by Simplyhealth Access, are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All claims are subject to the applicable terms and conditions, including benefit limits, which are assessed on a fee-per-item basis. Our assessment process does not involve forming a clinical opinion; rather, we evaluate claims based on whether the terms have been met, informed by a clinical perspective. We acknowledge that surgical procedures and treatment plans may evolve over time, and we take this into consideration during the assessment.
The trauma team at Denplan are approachable and happy to help, or to just discuss the options and can be contacted on [email protected].
Dentistry is not an exact science, and we strive to have the best possible outcome for both treating dentists and patients.
*Association of Dental Implantology