
Dental insurance in Australia
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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Monthly premium (approx) (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, which impact the results displayed in the table - filters can be applied or removed at any time.
What is dental insurance?
Dental insurance refers to health insurance that provides coverage for dental treatment. There are several different types of dental cover available in Australia, with each covering different treatments and procedures.
Dental cover can be offered through an Extras policy, as well as a hospital policy. This means you can be covered for going to the dentist for a check-up or a filling, or going to hospital to get your wisdom teeth removed.
How dental cover works
Dental cover works similarly to many other forms of private health insurance. Once you’ve selected a policy and signed up, you’ll often need to serve a waiting period before you can make a claim for dental treatments. This length of time can vary between providers, but can be as little as two months.
You can typically claim part of the cost of each dental treatment on your private health insurance, though you may need to consider annual limits. You may also need to contact your provider to submit a claim, or you may be able to provide your membership details to your dentist for them to put in a claim on your behalf. This may be easier if your dentist is part of your health fund’s network of preferred providers.
What does dental insurance cover?
The services covered by health insurance for dental care depend on your policy, and whether you’re taking out Extras cover or a hospital policy.
Extras dental insurance is usually divided between two main categories:
- General dental: Focused on the cost of routine dental treatments, such as check-ups, cleaning, filings, and x-rays.
- Major dental: Designed for more complex (and often more expensive) dental procedures such as crowns, dentures and braces.
You can use our table to find Extras policies from our Online Partners that include general and/or major dental work.
Hospital policies can include cover for dental surgery in a hospital, such as surgery to remove wisdom teeth or apply dental implants.
Why take out dental cover?
Medicare generally doesn’t offer rebates for out-of-hospital dental treatment, which means you’ll usually need to pay the full amount yourself. The average cost of a dental check-up is $233, according to the most recent Australian Dental Association (ADA) Dental Fees Survey. This means you could be facing over $450 in dental bills per year for just two regular check-ups. Taking out a health insurance policy with dental cover can help to cover the cost of eligible dental treatments and services.
Looking after your oral health can be important to your overall wellbeing, as without it your quality of life and ability to speak, socialise and eat may be compromised. This can result in discomfort, pain and embarrassment, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
How to find the best private health insurance for dental
Remember that the best dental insurance policy for you may be different to what’s best for other Australians. You’ll need to consider your own financial situation and lifestyle needs when comparing and selecting a private health insurance policy.
Some of the questions you may want to ask yourself include:
- Do you want general or major dental cover?
- Do you want Extras only, hospital only, or hospital and Extras cover?
- Is your preferred dentist in the provider’s network?
- How much are you prepared to pay in premiums?
The best dental insurance policy for you may also be affected by where you’re living and who it covers (e.g. yourself only, you and your partner, or your whole family). Overall, the more cover you want, and the more people you want the policy to cover, the more you may need to pay in premiums.
You can use our table to compare Extras-only health insurance policies from our Online Partners that offer general dental cover. You can get a health insurance quote from your chosen provider by clicking the ‘Get Quote’ button, or you can get a personalised quote from Canstar by clicking the ‘Get a Personalised Quote Now’ button at the top of the page.
For more involved dental treatment, you may need ‘major dental’ cover or hospital cover that specifies dental procedures. Change the filters on the table to explore the different types of cover.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Insurance
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Nick Whiting, Insurances Writer

Joshua Sale, GM, Research

As Canstar’s Group Manager, Research, Ratings & Product Data, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right product for them.
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This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.