Is a Dental Plan Worth It in 2026?

What does a dental plan actually cost?

Dental plans in the UK range from around £5 to £50+ per month depending on the type and level of cover. The most common plans are:

Denplan Care costs from £13 to £22 per month. The exact amount is set by your dentist based on your oral health assessment. The monthly fee covers routine and restorative treatment — including fillings, crowns, root canals, and extractions — with no separate charge when treatment is needed.

Simplyhealth costs from £8 to £50 per month depending on the tier. Unlike Denplan, Simplyhealth is a cashback plan: you pay for treatment upfront and claim back up to your annual allowance. Higher tiers offer larger annual cashback limits.

BUPA and Boots plans start from around £8 per month for basic cover, rising to £30–£50 for comprehensive dental insurance with higher annual claim limits.

How much does private dental treatment cost without a plan?

Private dental costs vary significantly by location and practice, but 2026 national averages are approximately:

A check-up: £50–£100. A scale and polish (hygienist): £70–£120. A filling (white composite): £100–£200. A crown: £500–£900. A root canal: £400–£800. An extraction: £100–£250.

London prices are typically 30–40% higher than the national average. If you live in Central London, a routine check-up and hygienist visit can easily exceed £200, and a single filling can cost £200–£300.

The maths: when does a plan pay off?

The calculation depends heavily on what type of dental user you are.

For low-use patients (one check-up per year, no treatment): A Simplyhealth plan at £8/month costs £96/year. If a check-up costs £60 and the plan gives £60 cashback, you roughly break even. Denplan at £13/month costs £156/year — likely not worth it if you rarely need treatment.

For regular-use patients (two check-ups, one hygienist visit, one filling per year): Annual private costs without a plan: approximately £120 (check-ups) + £90 (hygienist) + £150 (filling) = £360. Denplan Care at £17/month = £204/year. Saving: approximately £156 per year.

For high-use patients (two check-ups, two hygienist visits, one crown per year): Annual private costs without a plan: approximately £120 + £180 + £700 = £1,000. Denplan Care at £20/month = £240/year. Saving: approximately £760 per year.

Who benefits most from a dental plan?

The data is clear: dental plans provide the greatest financial benefit to people who use dental services regularly. If you typically need only an annual check-up, a basic cash plan at the lowest tier may be marginally worth it or roughly cost-neutral.

If you regularly have hygienist visits and occasionally need fillings or more significant treatment, a Denplan-style capitation plan is very likely to save you money compared with paying privately.

The risk with a Denplan-style plan is that if you have good oral health and rarely need treatment, you will pay consistently for cover you do not use. The risk with a cash plan is that your cashback limits may be exhausted by major treatment, leaving you with a significant out-of-pocket expense.

Should you get a dental plan in 2026?

Given rising private dental costs and the continued collapse of NHS access, a dental plan makes financial sense for the majority of people who have transitioned or are transitioning to private dentistry.

The key question is which type of plan suits your situation. If you already have a private dentist registered with Denplan, Denplan Care is very likely to save you money on an ongoing basis. If you do not yet have a private dentist — or want flexibility to use any dentist — Simplyhealth or a basic BUPA plan provides a lower-cost entry point.

Use our dental plan comparison tool to get a personalised view of which plan is most cost-effective for your usage pattern.