
Whether it’s munching on chicken nuggets, washing down juice, or freezing from an ice cream, we put our teeth through a lot. Quite often we ignore them till they make their presence felt, with a painful cavity in your mouth, that can also leave a burning a hole in your pocket. Dental visits in Singapore can be expensive and if you have kids who might require braces or other dental work (here’s hoping you don’t) it may be a good time to review what type of dental coverage you need for your children. We spoke to the experts at Pacific Prime Singapore and put together some frequently asked questions on dental insurance that you can chew on.
Does my kid need dental coverage?
We love Singapore but like most other things, dental visits can be astonishingly expensive. The cost of braces, for example, could be anything between SGD 3000 at a public institution to SGD 10,700 at a private practice. Enough to set your teeth grinding… If you have more than one child, the costs only add up making a strong case for you to get dental insurance for your kids.
What exactly does dental insurance cover?
While different insurance policies can have varying coverage, most dental insurance plans cover check-ups, exams, X-rays, cleaning and polishing and routine procedures like fillings, crowns, or root canal treatments. If you think you may need extra care, invest in an insurance policy that covers more elaborate orthodontic procedures. This will mean a higher premium, but given how much it can cost you, getting insured is the smart thing to do.
What doesn’t it cover?
While insurance policies tend to have differing interpretations of cosmetic procedures, elective treatments such as teeth whitening using chemicals or gels are usually excluded by all plans. While there is very little chance that your kids will need cosmetic procedures, take some time and read through the fine print in the paperwork before you make you go ahead.
So how do I go about securing dental coverage for my child?
As important as getting dental coverage is, there are no standalone dental insurance policies. Dental insurance is usually offered as additional coverage with an existing medical insurance plan. If you are insured by the companies your work for, there is a good chance your kids are already covered for dental insurance by the company policy. If not, those tiny shiny teeth can be insured by including your kids under either one of your medical insurance plans and attaching a dental rider that also covers children.
Do insurance policies cover visits to dentists outside Singapore or in my home country?
Cavities and tooth problems can strike anywhere, but your medical insurance plan’s ‘limits of coverage’ will decide whether you get to enjoy your dental insurance benefits on the move. If your policy only covers care right here in the Red Dot, visits to the dentist outside of the country won’t be covered. If you travel frequently with your kids for work, or on holidays, and expect a few visits from the tooth fairy (or tooth goblin), getting international medical coverage which also covers dental, might be a good idea. P.S. Be prepared to pay from your pocket, because claims can only be honoured in countries where your plan is accepted. Also, some companies who offer international coverage might only offer it at certain hospitals, or only in countries where their network is. Read the details of you plan before you decide to journey to a land far, far away.
If you want to know more or would like to add to or modify your existing insurance policy, speak to the team at Pacific Prime Singapore about dental insurance.
This post is sponsored by Pacific Prime Singapore.