Is a Dental Plan Worth It?
A dental plan turns your routine care into one predictable fee each month and takes 10% off most private treatment. Whether that's good value depends on how you use your dentist, so here's how to work it out honestly.
Is a Dental Plan Worth It in Edinburgh?
A dental plan is worth it if you'd see the dentist and hygienist regularly anyway: compare a year of plan fees with what your dental examinations and hygiene visits would cost paying as you go, then add the 10% members save on most private treatment. At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh, Plan A and Plan B include examinations and hygiene visits; without a plan, an examination is £70 and a hygiene visit is £90.
Is a Dental Plan Worth It?
A dental plan is worth it if you'd see the dentist and hygienist regularly anyway, or if you're likely to need private treatment in the next year or two. In those cases you're paying for care you'd use, the cost is predictable, and the 10% member discount on most private treatment adds up.
It's less likely to be worth it if you rarely attend, if your care is free on the NHS, or if you're about to move away. The fair way to decide is to compare the plan with what you'd pay visit by visit, which we walk through below.
At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh we offer two plans for adult patients, Plan A and Plan B.
What Is a Dental Maintenance Plan?
A maintenance plan is an arrangement with your own dental practice. You pay a fixed amount each month, and in return your routine preventive care, such as examinations and hygiene visits, is included. The whole idea is prevention: keeping your teeth and gums healthy so that problems are found early, when they're smaller and simpler to treat.
It isn't insurance. A plan covers planned, routine care at the practice you belong to, rather than paying out towards unexpected costs wherever you are.
If you're wondering where to buy a maintenance plan in Edinburgh, the answer is from the practice you want to attend. Plans are offered through individual practices, so joining one goes hand in hand with becoming a patient there.
Not Sure Which Plan Suits You?
Book an examination and we'll look at how often you need dental examinations and hygiene visits, then tell you honestly whether a plan makes sense for you.
What Do Plan A and Plan B Include?
Both of our plans include:
- Examinations with one of our dentists, checking your teeth, gums, soft tissues and bite
- Hygiene visits with our hygienist and therapist, Katie Ventisei; our hygiene page explains what happens at a visit
- 10% off most private treatment, with any exceptions set out in the plan terms
Plan A is £24.10 a month and Plan B is £40.16 a month. Our dental membership page sets out exactly what each plan covers, and after your examination we'll suggest the one that matches what your mouth actually needs.
Doing the Maths: Plan or Pay as You Go?
You don't need a spreadsheet to get a fair answer. Without a plan, an examination is £70 and a 30-minute hygiene visit is £90. Then work through three steps:
- Add up your usual year. If you'd normally have two examinations and two hygiene visits, that's twice £70 plus twice £90.
- Add up a year of the plan. Take the monthly fee for the plan that suits you and multiply it by twelve.
- Compare, then add the discount. If the plan costs about the same as paying visit by visit, or less, you're already ahead before any treatment, and the 10% off most private treatment comes on top.
The discount is where a plan can make the biggest difference. As an example, a crown on a back tooth is £760, and a member saves a tenth of that. Over a few years, with the odd filling or crown, it soon mounts up.
| Feature | Paying as you go | On a plan |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | £70 each | Included, as set out in your plan |
| Hygiene visit | £90 each | Included, as set out in your plan |
| Most private treatment | Full fee | 10% off |
Who Benefits Most From a Plan?
Plans tend to suit:
- Regular attenders who already come for dental examinations and hygiene visits and would like the cost to be predictable
- People with gum problems who need regular professional cleaning to keep things stable; see our gum disease treatment page
- Anyone with treatment coming up, such as a crown or replacement fillings, where 10% off makes a real difference
- People with a lot of existing dental work, such as crowns, bridges or implants, which need regular checks to keep them lasting
- Busy people who'd otherwise let dental examinations slide; having routine care already paid for makes it easier to keep coming
When Is a Plan Not the Right Choice?
A plan isn't for everyone, and we'd rather you chose one because it suits you:
- Children. Children registered with us are seen under the NHS, and NHS dental care for children in Scotland is free, so they don't need a plan.
- People who qualify for free NHS treatment. In Scotland, NHS dental treatment is free for under-26s and some other groups. If you can find an NHS place, that may be better value for you. We're private for adults, so that wouldn't be with us.
- Very occasional attenders. If you only want to come when something hurts, paying as you go is simpler, although problems caught early are usually smaller and simpler to put right.
- Anyone moving away soon. A plan is tied to the practice, so it only makes sense if you'll keep coming here.
How Is a Plan Different From Dental Insurance?
People often mix the two up. A dental plan pays for your routine care at one practice, with a discount on treatment there. Dental insurance pays towards treatment costs up to set limits, often with an annual cap and exclusions for problems you already have.
Some people have both. If you already have dental insurance through work, check what it covers before you join a plan, so you don't end up paying twice for the same care.
Joining, Changing or Cancelling a Plan
If you're new to Comely Bank Dental, you'll start with a new patient examination, which is £95. We'll check your teeth and gums, talk about how often you're likely to need dental examinations and hygiene visits, and suggest which plan, if either, fits.
Read the plan terms before you join, including how to cancel, and ask us about anything that isn't clear. We'd rather answer questions up front than have you surprised later. If your needs change, talk to us about whether the other plan would now suit you better.
Whatever you decide, any treatment beyond your routine care is set out in a written treatment plan with fees before it starts.
Joining a Dental Plan in Edinburgh
We see patients from across north Edinburgh, including Stockbridge, Inverleith and the New Town. To ask about a plan, call us on 0131 332 3971, email info@comelybankdental.co.uk or book a new patient examination online. If you're already a patient, just ask at your next visit and we'll explain which plan suits you.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.