Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Information for dental customers
Last updated: 31 July 2020
Bupa Dental Insurance update
Following the government announcement, dental practices across England reopened for face to face care on 8 June. Dentists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also now started to reopen in line with government advice.
At Bupa we continue to prioritise your safety during this difficult time. We are therefore responding by making the necessary changes to our products and services to help you safely access face-to-face healthcare and wellbeing support. This includes enhancing safety measures across our Bupa Dental Care practices and temporarily covering the costs of exceptional PPE as well as introducing virtual dental services.
Watch our video to find out more about how our Bupa Dental Care practices are adapting to help keep you safe: https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/coronavirus-covid-19-notice#covid-safety-video
Covering you for exceptional dental PPE charges to help keep you safe
The General Dental Council requires dentists to introduce a range of safety measures in their practice when they reopen, including all patients, clinical and practice teams wearing enhanced PPE to minimise the risk of cross contamination when coming into contact with patients.
Additional charges for exceptional PPE would not typically be covered by dental policies, but we’re covering the cost of PPE for treatment up to benefit limits for the remainder of 2020 as a policy exception. This means we will pay for the cost of treatment and the additional PPE costs out of the relevant treatment benefit, as long as it is within benefit limits.
The situation is changing rapidly and it is not yet clear if or how dentists will pass these additional costs on to patients or when the need for PPE may change, therefore we plan to review our position at the end of 2020. We know that you will be seeking dental treatment and we want to make sure that this is one less thing for you to worry about.
We’ve introduced this new measure quickly to ensure we support you by contributing to these additional costs up to your policy benefit limits, but we will continue to review our plans in accordance with government and clinical safety guidance.
Dental care you can access from home
As well as making sure our dental practices are offering face to face care and treatment for patients, we’re also introducing new support to help you access oral care virtually.
Our dental policies cover virtual dental services, which can give you rapid and convenient access from the comfort of your home. Right now, we’re aware you might be putting off a dental health worry because it means leaving home to get help or perhaps it’s more difficult to get a face to face appointment. Whatever the dental worry, whether emergency or routine, we’re here to help.
We have various at home options you can choose and use your policy for, depending what best suits you.
Virtual dental assessment
There are different virtual dentistry services available and you can claim back for these in line with benefit limits. This involves reviewing your oral health digitally using camera and video technology and then providing an assessment report with tips to care for your teeth afterwards.
You won’t be speaking directly to a dentist, but one will review photos and videos and build a personalised report based on individual oral health risks and then detail improvements that can be made. If you use this service, you can claim back in-line with routine benefit limits.
Emergency dental remote support
If you are midway through treatment or have an emergency, you can also have a consultation with a Bupa dentist either by telephone or by arranging a video appointment. You can use our Bupa Dental Care dentists for this service even if you’re not usually a patient with them. This service is free for you to use and does not impact your benefit limits. Please call us on 0333 015 5255^ to access these services. ^Lines are open Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
Information for Bupa Dental Care patients
If you have a dental emergency or are in the middle of ongoing treatment, most of our practices are providing telephone support and advice to help you with your dental needs during this difficult time.
To speak to a dentist or to read our self-help guides, please visit our caring for you during COVID-19 page which is updated regularly.
Following the Government’s update, from Monday 8 June, our practices in England will re-open. All of the latest information will be available here on our website.
Following the latest Government advice many dental practices are only available to offer you telephone support and guidance.
Please contact your dental practice for further help and guidance for ongoing treatment or emergency dental issues.
Yes, you can visit any dentist to have treatment.
However, following the latest Government advice many dental practices are only available to offer you telephone support and guidance.
Please contact your dental practice for further help and guidance for ongoing treatment or emergency dental issues.
Please check with your dental practice. Following the latest Government advice dental practices will only be able to offer telephone support and guidance.
No, you can continue to visit the dentist and claim for treatment in the normal way.
Yes, we will continue to aim to process claims within 7-10 days. If you need to submit a claims then please visit https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-insurance/make-claim
Alternatively, you can also download a claim form (PDF, 0.9MB)
If you pay us direct, then yes you can cancel your policy and we will always welcome you back.
If your policy is via your employer, then you will need to contact your HR department as we are unable to do this for you.
Yes we remain open to new and switching business. Mid term up grades are allowed in line with the terms and conditions of the policy.
We are not offering payment holidays at this stage, we have delivered a package of measures to ensure you can continue to gain value from the product. The situation with COVID-19 changes quickly and we don’t yet know how long it will last or what the overall impact will be on the services that our customers use. We’ll keep monitoring the situation and will continue to make sure we review ways which we can provide our customers with value during this time.
Dentists across the UK are opening in line with government advice. Dentists are currently following strict government and clinical safety advice to ensure patient safety, which includes wearing enhanced PPE and social distancing measures in practice. If you'd like to see more about the safety measures our Bupa Dental Care practices are putting in place, please visit https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/coronavirus-covid-19-notice#covid-safety-video
There will be noticeable changes in practices and dental centres across the UK have been working hard to put extra safety measure in place to keep you safe. Our colleagues at Bupa Dental Centres have provided an example of those measures and have created FAQs to help answer the key questions you may have.
https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/coronavirus-covid-19-notice/covid-19-charter
https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/coronavirus-covid-19-notice
Covering you for exceptional dental PPE charges to help keep you safe
The General Dental Council requires dentists to introduce a range of safety measures in their practice when they reopen, including all patients, clinical and practice teams wearing enhanced PPE to minimise the risk of cross contamination when meeting patients.
The cost of PPE can be significant and additional charges for exceptional PPE would not typically be covered by dental policies. We’re covering the cost of PPE for treatment up to benefit limits for the remainder of 2020 as a policy exception. This means we will pay for the cost of treatment and the additional PPE costs out of the relevant treatment benefit, if it is within benefit limits.
The situation is changing rapidly, and it is not yet clear if or how dentists will pass these additional costs on to patients or when the need for PPE may change, therefore we plan to review our position at the end of 2020.
We’ve introduced this new measure to ensure we support you by contributing to these additional costs up to your policy benefit limits, we will continue to review our plans in accordance with government and clinical safety guidance.
Dental care you can access at home
As well as making sure our dental practices are offering face-to-face care and treatment for patients, we’re also introducing new support to help you access oral care virtually.
Our dental policies cover virtual dental services, which can give you rapid and convenient access from the comfort of your home. There are various at home options you can choose, and you can claim back for these in line with benefit limits.
One service is a virtual dental assessment, this involves reviewing your oral health digitally using camera and video technology and then providing an assessment report with tips to care for your teeth afterwards. You won’t be speaking directly to a dentist, but one will review photos and videos and build a personalised report based on individual oral health risks and then detail improvements that can be made.
Free emergency dental remote support from Bupa Dental Centres
If you are midway through treatment or have an emergency, you can also have a consultation with a Bupa dentist either by telephone or by arranging a video appointment. You can use our Bupa Dental Care dentists for this service even if you’re not usually a patient with them. This service is free for you to use and does not impact your benefit limits. Please call us on 0333 015 5255 to access these services. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
Yes you can. We accept claims for online, telephone and video consultations in-line with policy benefit limits. Please remember to include a receipt as normal when you send us your claim.
There are different virtual dentistry services available and customers can claim back for these in line with benefit limits. One service is a virtual dental assessment, this involves reviewing a customer’s oral health digitally using camera and video technology and then providing an assessment report with tips to care for the customer’s teeth afterwards.
Customers won’t be speaking directly to a dentist, but one will review photos and videos and build a personalised report based on individual oral health risks and then detail improvements that can be made. If customers use this service, they can claim back in-line with routine benefit limits.
Most dental practices across the UK are offering a telephone triage for dental emergencies. However if you’re struggling to get access , as a Bupa insurance customer, we’ve launched an emergency service in conjunction with Bupa Dental Care so if you’re midway through treatment or have an emergency, you can have a consultation with a Bupa dentist either by telephone or by arranging a video conference. You can use our Bupa Dental Care dentists for this service even if you’re not usually a patient with them. Accessing this service is also free of charge and won’t erode your benefit entitlement. Please call us on 0333 015 5255 to access these services. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
We understand you might need further guidance on maintaining your oral health during this time. So, so we’ve put together some helpful advice to help you manage at home, and maintaining a healthy smile during the COVID-19 outbreak. The articles, which you can find online at: https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental-covid19, include tips on:
- managing dental pain at home
- managing broken, chipped or loose teeth
- caring for braces
- and looking after implants, dentures and bridges at home
No, you can't carry your benefit entitlement over from one policy year into the next policy year.
This will depend on the policy you have and the treatment you are receiving, please contact us to discuss your individual circumstances?
Read the latest news, advice, case studies and tips
from Bupa Dental Care
NHS Online Coronavirus Advice
Get the latest health advice from the NHS on what to do if you think you may have symptoms of, or have been exposed to, coronavirus (COVID-19).
Further information
The situation with coronavirus (COVID-19) is continuously changing. To ensure you have the latest information explore the following links:
World Health Organization
Read the latest updates from the World Health Organization (WHO)
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
UK Government
Find out more about the UK Government response from Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
NHS England
Read NHS information about how coronavirus is spread and how to avoid catching or spreading germs.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Travel information
If you are looking for information on how the coronavirus outbreak may affect your travel plans, please follow the guidance of the Foreign and Commonwealth office.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
Get advice about travelling abroad, including the latest information on coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
For the latest situation reports, and a map of affected areas see the latest from the
World Health Organization
Get in touch. We’re here to help
For individuals
If you already have cover with Bupa and you have a query please contact us, we’re here to help
0800 237 777
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm^. We may record or monitor our calls. If you prefer, you can claim by post.
For small business cover
(2-249 employees)
If your business already has health cover with Bupa and you have a query, please contact us, we’re here to help.
0333 920 6973
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm. We may record or monitor our calls.
For corporate business cover
(250+ employees)
If your business has health cover with Bupa and you have a query, please contact your account manager.
Here you’ll find information and advice from our experts to help you stay healthy in body, and mind.
Bupa dental insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
Bupa Dental Care is a trading name of Oasis Healthcare Limited. Registered in England and Wales number: 03257078. Registered office: Bupa Dental Care Vantage Office Park, Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook, Bristol, United Kingdom BS16 1GW.
