Is dental treatment covered by insurance in the UAE?
Whether your dental treatment is covered depends entirely on your own insurance plan. Basic plans often include little or no dental cover, while enhanced plans may cover check-ups and some treatment up to a yearly limit. This guide explains what to look for on your policy and how to find out quickly what you will pay.
The short answer
Basic health insurance in Dubai does not always include dental cover. Some basic plans include no dental benefits, some include limited care such as check-ups or emergency treatment, and some offer a discount instead of cover. Enhanced plans, often provided by larger employers, are more likely to include dental care, usually with a yearly limit and a co-payment. The only way to be sure is to check your plan's table of benefits.
What plans with dental cover usually include
- Often coveredCheck-ups, X-rays, cleaning, fillings, extractions and root canal treatment, up to the yearly dental limit.
- Sometimes coveredCrowns, bridges and dentures, often with a lower limit or a waiting period.
- Often excludedTeeth whitening and veneers, because they are cosmetic. Implants are frequently excluded.
- OrthodonticsBraces and aligners are usually excluded for adults; some plans cover them for children only.
Terms to check on your policy
- Annual dental limit: the most the insurer pays for dental care in a policy year.
- Co-payment or co-insurance: the share you pay yourself, either a fixed amount or a percentage of each bill.
- Waiting period: some plans only cover certain treatments after you have been insured for a set time.
- Pre-approval: larger treatments may need the insurer's approval before they start.
- Network: the clinics where your insurer offers direct billing.
- Direct billing or reimbursement: whether the clinic bills the insurer, or you pay and claim the money back.
How to check your cover in five minutes
- Find your table of benefitsIt is in your policy documents or your insurer's app, and lists dental benefits and limits.
- Look for the dental lineCheck the limit, the co-payment and any exclusions or waiting periods.
- Ask usMessage us your insurer and plan name on WhatsApp and we tell you what to look for. Bring your insurance card to your visit.
Using your insurance at Healthpoint
Healthpoint works by reimbursement, not direct billing. You pay at the clinic, and we give you an itemised invoice and a medical report to claim the money back from your insurer. We work with most insurers that reimburse dental treatment. Bring your insurance card and your Emirates ID. If your insurer needs pre-approval for a treatment, we give you the treatment plan and estimate to send them before starting.
If you are not covered
Your consultation is free, so you can find out what your teeth need and what it costs before deciding. Every treatment page shows a starting price, and you can split the cost of treatment with Tabby or Tamara, subject to their approval. See the price list and insurance and payment.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Dubai basic insurance plan cover dental?
Often only for emergencies. Dubai's basic plans generally cover emergency dental care for acute pain, infection or injury, but not routine check-ups, cleaning or fillings, which need a plan with a dental benefit. Details differ between insurers, so check your plan's table of benefits.
What limits and co-payments do UAE dental benefits usually have?
Plans that include routine dental care commonly set a yearly dental limit of around AED 1,500 to 3,500 and a co-payment of about 20%, and many exclude orthodontics. Your own table of benefits has the exact figures.
Sources
Medical review: to be completed by a Healthpoint dentist, whose name and title will be shown here. This guide is general information, not a diagnosis; your dentist will advise on your own teeth.