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Bupa Dental Care: Your questions answered
Hear from Dr. Neil Sikka - Chief Dental Officer for Bupa UK Insurance and Director of Dentistry for Bupa Dental Care.
Transcript
Who are you?
Hi, I'm Neil Sikka.
I'm the Chief Dental Officer
for the Bupa UK Insurance business,
but also the Director of Dentistry for Bupa Dental Care.
Please, ask me a question and I will try and answer it.
What is Bupa Dental Care?
So we at Bupa Dental Care provide NHS
and private treatment to the whole family.
We've got over 400 practises all over the UK,
but also in the Republic of Ireland,
and we provide a whole range of services from check-ups to
fillings and advanced treatments
and cosmetic treatments as well.
How many Bupa Practices are there within the UK?
We have nearly 400 practises within the UK,
but also in the Republic of Ireland as well.
Do I need insurance to see a Bupa dentist?
No, everybody is welcome at Bupa Dental Care,
but if you do have dental insurance with Bupa,
you can get up to 20% discount on your treatment
and also instant claim.
Am I able to walk-in to a Bupa Dental Practice?
Absolutely.
Everybody is welcome
and you can come to our reception in any practice,
ask about our fees, talk about any treatments,
and make your first appointment.
What does Bupa dental insurance cover?
Bupa dental insurance covers you for a number of things.
You get a contribution towards worldwide treatment
for preventative and restorative treatment.
You get cover up to certain limits
for orthodontic treatment in the UK. Worldwide cover
for emergency treatment and for injuries.
And if you're unlucky enough to get oral cancer,
we will fully cover you for your treatment.
How can I make an appointment to see a Bupa dentist?
You can call any practice of your choice
by going onto our website.
All the phone numbers are available,
or you can go onto our online booking tool
and just click on the link.
Do you support nervous or anxious patients?
Yes, we do.
We've actually got a number of dentists
that specialise in the treatment and support the nervous
and anxious patients.
But the best thing you can do is
to let us know when you make your appointment
that you're feeling in this way,
and we'll make sure that we support you
through your whole experience.
In fact, we've got a whole conversation dedicated to this,
and if you click on the link, you can see Dr.
Shaila answering those questions.
Are prices the same across all Bupa Dental Care practices?
Prices do vary from practice to practice
as we do have practices all over the country.
The best thing to do though is to call the practice
of your choice and they'll be able to describe the fees.
Alternatively, if you go onto our website, each
of our practices has our prices listed.
Do you only treat adults or kids as well?
No, we don't only treat adults.
We treat children too,
and everybody is welcome at our practices.
What type of treatments do you provide?
We provide a whole variety
of treatments from your normal checkups, hygienist,
treatments, fillings,
but we also provide more advanced treatments like root
canals, extractions, crowns, bridges, implants.
We also provide orthodontics,
and for those people that want it, we actually do provide
cosmetic treatment too.
Do you provide NHS dental treatment?
Yes, we do.
We have practises that provide NHS treatment
and private treatment,
but we also have some practices
that only provide private treatment.
What is the difference between NHS and private dental treatment?
NHS treatment is there to provide you
for clinically necessary items to maintain good oral health,
such as your check-ups, your x-rays, your fillings,
maybe extractions.
And these come at a standardised cost, which is covered
to a certain extent by the government and subsidised.
In contrast, private dental treatment gives you much more
choice in terms of the type of treatment
that you might have, and this includes cosmetic treatment
like tooth whitening, veneers,
and perhaps more advanced treatment like dental implants,
which isn't covered on the NHS in most cases.
How does instant claim work?
Instant claim is something that we've introduced
for our dental insurance customers to make it really easy
for them when they visit our Bupa
Dental practices that operated.
So if you have instant claim
and you come into one of our practices,
after your treatment, you'll come to the reception desk
and we'll process that claim directly for you, which means
that you could potentially be fully covered
for your treatment and you won't have to pay,
and then get a claim form
and then submit a receipt for reimbursement.
You could be fully covered for all your treatments.
If there's anything that you aren't covered for,
you would just pay for that at the time of your appointment.
It's easy and it's hassle-free.
What is Bupa finder and what does it tell me?
So Bupa Finder is a resource online where you can find
so many services that we provide at Bupa,
but we also publish on
that site our dental insurance network.
And using that, you can actually find a dentist
of your choice close to where you live or where you work.
And if you want to visit a Bupa dental practice,
you can find a practice on there
and it will show you what level of discount that you're
eligible for when you visit the practice.
And that could be 10 or 20%, and whether
or not that practice is offering instant claim.
In addition, you can also use Bupa Finder
to book your appointment online for hygienist treatment
and for your check-up at any of our Bupa dental practices
that are participating.
So it's a really useful tool for you to use if you want
to find anybody on our dental insurance network.
How is Bupa different to other private dentist practices?
We're really fortunate at Bupa in that we have
quite a large organisation, which means
that we can have a team to support all our dentists
and hygienists, nurses,
that are working within practises on a daily basis to ensure
that we take some of that regulatory
and administration away from them, which allows them
to concentrate on delivering the best possible care
for their patients.
What is your level of clinical governance?
Clinical governance is there to ensure that
all our teams are delivering the highest quality of care
of treatment to our patients.
So we have teams of senior dentists
that will support our other dentists working in practices
just to enable them to feel comfortable
that they're delivering that best possible care.
How does Bupa Dental Care look after my safety?
Safety can mean many different things to different people,
but our job at Bupa Dental Care is to ensure that
the treatment that you have is in a comfortable environment
and that we're delivering the best possible care for you we can.
How does Bupa use 3D scanners to replace taking impressions?
Well, for many, many years now,
we have traditionally taken a mould
of your teeth using a material
that we put in your mouth on a tray,
and a lot of people don't like it -
it makes them gag, it doesn't taste very nice,
and it has to be in there for quite a while.
But there's been an incredible development in the ability
for us to now use a 3D scanner.
And with this 3D scanner, we go around with a kind
of wand in your mouth
and it records on a screen all the information that we need,
whether it be for orthodontic treatment
or for making a crown,
or even for implants and things like that.
And for our patients, it's been wonderful
because they no longer have to bite on
that horrible tasting material to take a mould.
Can I make an emergency appointment?
We know that toothache is one of the worst things
that you can ever experience.
We offer, depending on the practice that you visit, both NHS
and private emergency appointments.
And if you call any of our practices,
we'll do everything we possibly can
to fit you in on the day.
However, if it isn't possible to see the dentist
of your choice at the practice that you normally visit,
we will ring round
and ask other practices for their availability
to see if they can fit you in on the day.
Be rest assured, we will do everything we can to get you out
of pain.
Can I just see a hygienist?
Ideally we would look
after your overall comprehensive care,
and that would include seeing the dentist
and the hygienist for your checkups.
But we do allow people to see a hygienist only If you
so wish. It would mean a slightly longer appointment,
but that is possible.
But please make sure you tell the reception that that's
what you would like to do when you call the practice.
Are you open outside normal office hours?
Yes, we have practices all over the country that are open
outside normal hours.
That would include early mornings and late evenings.
And also, some of the practices are open at weekends too.
But it's always advisable to call the practice first,
to check to see what availability there is.
Do I need to be a Bupa member to get dental treatment?
Absolutely not.
People think that sometimes they need insurance to be able
to come to our Bupa Dental practices,
but our practices are open to everybody.
However, if you do have Bupa Dental Insurance
and you choose to use one of our practices,
you will receive up
to 20% discount on your general dental care
and also instant claim on all your claims that you have.
Do you guarantee treatments?
As a standard, we provide a year's guarantee on the
majority of treatments that you'll have.
However, if you do have a problem with any
of your treatments, the best thing to do is to sit down
with your dentist and discuss it.
But rest assured, we will always work with you to try
and find a solution.
Where can I find your pricing?
All our fees are available on our Bupa Dental Care
websites, and each practice has its own listing.
So in nearly all cases, you'll be able
to find the cost of treatment there.
However, you can call each practice
and they will be able to inform you of the majority of costs,
or why not pop in and have a chat
and have a look at the practice too.
Why do I need to complete a medical history form?
A medical history form gives us a complete information
on any history of illnesses that you have, any allergies,
and any medications that you might be taking.
You can complete that when you come into the practice,
or you can do it online via our portal beforehand.
It's really important for us
to have all this information at hand.
If we're prescribing you antibiotics, we need
to know if you're allergic to anything.
We need to know if there's any history of any complications
of treatment that you might have had before.
And actually, it's really important to remember that
oral health is part of overall health, so
helping us to understand your overall health condition
allows us to give you the best possible care.
How do I contact you?
You can call the practice of your choice.
They'll make an appointment for you.
You can go online and make an appointment for a checkup
or a hygienist or pop into one of the practises.
It helps you have a look at the practice
and talk to our reception teams at the same time.
We also have a dedicated Bupa Dental support line
for our dental insurance members.
What is the Bupa dental support line?
The Bupa Dental Support line is a dedicated phone number
for our dental insurance members.
If you call that number, we guarantee
to make you an appointment with a Bupa dentist.
Ideally, one close to where you live or work,
but if not, we will find a local practice
where there is availability
and make that appointment for you.
The Bupa Dental Support line also is there
to provide advice about types of treatments
that you may be interested in having
and recommending who you should see for those treatments.
Why is good oral health important?
Your mouth is the gateway to your body.
We know that there are established links
between oral health and general health.
Gum disease has been associated with heart disease, strokes,
even Alzheimer's.
So looking after your oral health is going
to benefit your general health.
Why is it important to look after your gums?
We know that gum disease is already being associated
with other diseases of the body, like heart disease,
strokes, even Alzheimer's.
But gum disease is even more of a problem
because often, it is not painful
until it's in the later stages of developments.
So your gums may bleed when you brush them,
and it may not be painful, but that can become a real issue
because as time goes on, you will lose bone support
around your teeth and they will become loose,
and you will develop other gum problems as well.
That's why it's really important for you
to come in regularly to visit your hygienist
and your dentist to get them checked.
Are bleeding gums normal?
I would say that the majority
of the population have some sort of bleeding gums.
Now, bleeding gums are not normal if your mouth
is absolutely healthy.
So the problem is, is that most people don't know
that bleeding gums are a problem because it is not painful.
Gum disease only becomes an issue
for people when it becomes more established.
That's why you need to come in regularly,
get yourself checked.
Can poor oral health affect your mental health?
I think poor oral health can affect your mental health in
so many different ways.
For instance, if you are in pain, that's going
to affect the way that you feel
if you have toothache. If you've got broken teeth
and you can't eat properly, that's going
to affect your nutrition
and it's going to affect the way that you feel.
If you have poor oral health, you're probably going
to suffer from bad breath,
and that's going to influence the interactions that you have
with those people around you.
And if you can't smile
because your teeth are in a poor state, that is going to
affect the way that you feel and ultimately affect you
and your mental health.
What do most people get wrong with oral health?
I think one of the commonest misconceptions is
that bleeding gums are okay, well actually they're not.
Bleeding gums are an indication of an underlying problem
with your gums, and a lot of people don't realise that.
I think people don't realise that
your oral health is inextricably linked
with your general health.
So gum disease has been linked to things like heart disease,
strokes, and Alzheimer's even.
And thirdly, people often come
to the dentist when they've only got a problem.
And actually, if you come earlier,
we can spot these problems with your gums.
We can spot potential problems with other things
that may be going on in your mouth and deal with them
before they become a real issue.
How can I get whiter teeth?
The best way to make your teeth whiter is
to have the treatment done professionally by your dentist.
So that would mean coming in
and having some moulds taken, either a physical mould
or using a 3D scan to create some custom fitted trays
that fit very carefully to your teeth, both in your upper
and lower jaws potentially,
and then you're given a gel to use.
Now that gel is only at a concentration that we
as dentists can supply,
and that will effectively whiten your teeth over a period
of a couple of weeks.
What is the Bupa Smile Plan?
The Bupa Smile Plan is a dental subscription product
which allows you to spread the cost
of routine dental care throughout the year.
You simply sign up for a set number of checkups
and hygiene visits,
and then we will take care of your smile.
How much does the Bupa Smile Plan cost?
The cost of the Bupa Smart Plan will depend
on the practice that you choose
and the type of plan that you want to take up.
If you're not sure, you can call the practice of your choice
and the reception team will be able to help you.
Alternatively, if you want
to sign up online using this link,
once you've chosen your practice
and the type of plan that you want,
the price will be automatically displayed.
How do I find my nearest Bupa Dental practice?
You can find your chosen practice
by just clicking on the link and putting in the postcode
or area of your choice,
and it will display the local practices for you.
Are my kids covered on my Bupa dental insurance plan?
If your employer, when they sign up
to Bupa Dental Insurance allows you
to cover your family members,
when you choose your level of cover, you're allowed
to add your partner
and your children under the family membership.
Your children would remain on the policy
until the renewal date after their 24th birthday.
What is Total Orthodontics?
Total orthodontics,
part of Bupa, is a group of over 25 practices around the UK,
specifically with specialist orthodontists.
Now, a specialist orthodontist is a dentist
that's had additional training
and gained a qualification specifically in
straightening teeth and in complex cases.
So our specialist orthodontists at total orthodontics
clinics can provide you with a full range of any type
of orthodontic treatment.
This could mean fixed braces, removable braces,
invisalign treatments,
and also special types of braces that go on the inside
of your teeth as well, which is highly complex.
Can I spread the cost of my treatment?
There are a few ways in which you can spread the cost
of treatments. For routine care and hygiene visits,
we have the Bupa Smile plan
and that will allow you to spread the cost
of your routine care over 12 monthly payments.
If you're having more advanced treatments, that's going
to cost over 500 pounds,
we do have finance options and these can be interest free
or interest bearing.
Do you have a waiting list?
Some of our Bupa dental clinics do have a waiting list
for certain treatments,
but it depends very much on the appointments, availability,
demand, and location of the practice.
The best thing to do is for you to call the practice
that you want to visit and enquire about
appointment availability.
However, if you do have an emergency, please let us know
and we will do everything we possibly can to get you in
as soon as possible.
What technology do your practices use?
We are really fortunate here at Bupa in that we have
the resources to be able to invest in digital innovation,
and one of the examples of that is 3D scanning,
which we're rolling out across all our practices with time
throughout the UK and in Republic of Ireland.
And that's really benefited not just our patients,
but also us as clinicians in terms of delivering a really
improved experience for our patients.
Other things we've introduced are the patient portal.
Now the patient portal allows our patients
to update their medical history, their personal details,
to look at their treatment plans, all
online through their own login.
And I have to say, my patients have really
felt a value from it
because when they come into the practice now,
they don't have to fill in a physical medical history form.
And when I come into the surgery,
I have all their details already uploaded on my screen,
and it makes life a lot easier for all of us.
Online Booking is another example of where we
have introduced a system to enable our patients
to contact us easier
and for our dental insurance members, we're integrating
that journey for online booking
and future claims within Bupa Touch
and also through Bupa Finder for online bookings.
Don't let dental anxiety get in the way of good health
If you or a family member are worried about the dentist, we're here to support you.
Book an appointment
Find a Bupa dental practice that s close to you, and book your appointment online or over the phone.
Bupa Dental Care is a trading name of Oasis Dental Care Limited, Vantage Office Park, Bristol, BS16 1GW, whose company registered number is 00478127. Oasis Dental Care Limited has a number of trading names including Bupa Dental Care. View a list of all our different trading names.
Oasis Dental Care Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA registration number 710559. Oasis Dental Care Limited is a credit broker and not a lender.
Finance applicants must be aged 18 or over, a UK resident, have a UK bank account and be in permanent employment. All loans are subject to eligibility, status, affordability and a credit check. T&Cs apply. Finance is available on private dental treatments only.
The minimum spend for finance is £250 and the maximum is £50,000. 0% APR representative is available on repayment terms of up to 36 months subject to the amount of credit. Finance taken at repayment terms of 48 or 60 months is subject to 7.9% APR representative.
Bupa Dental Insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 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 with registration number 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
The My Bupa App is provided by Bupa Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Registered in England and Wales at 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ. Its company number is 3829851. VAT Registration Number: 239731641.
