Where a lost tooth is filled in with a porcelain or metal replacement.

Dental insurance
for expats
- Emergency restorative treatment covered by all plans
- Upgrade to Dental Basic or Dental Plus
- Cover for screening, crowns and dental implants available
What is dental insurance cover for expats?
Dental insurance for expats covers non-national residents for a range of dentistry treatments administered at a private dental practice. Some of the treatments that may be covered include:
C.J., Canada
William Russell Member
What do all our insurance plans cover for dental treatment?
Even if you don’t upgrade to Dental Basic or Dental Plus, you will still be covered for:
Emergency restorative treatment as an in-patient
This means you are covered for emergency treatment to repair natural teeth lost or damaged in an accident, within 15 days of the accident, as an in-patient. Levels of cover for in-patient restorative treatment are:
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold |
---|---|---|---|
Full cover |
Up to US$5,000/£3,300/€3,750 per period of cover | Full cover |
Full cover |
Emergency restorative treatment as an out-patient
This covers treatment for natural teeth lost or damaged in an accident, received within 72 hours of the accident, as an out-patient. Levels of cover for out-patient restorative treatment are:
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold |
---|---|---|---|
Up to US$500/£330/€375 per period of cover | Up to US$1,000/£660/€750 per period of cover |
The policy limits are:
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold |
---|---|---|---|
Up to US$500/£330/€375 per period of cover, subject to 20% co-insurance | Up to US$1,000/£660/€750 per period of cover, subject to 20% co-insurance | Up to US$1,500/£1,000/€1,125 |
The policy limits are:
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold |
---|---|---|---|
Up to US$1,500/£1,000/€1,125 per period of cover, subject to 20% co-insurance | Up to US$2,000/£1,330/€1,500 per period of cover, subject to 20% co-insurance |
Please note that Dental Plus requires a 10 month waiting period.
How to choose the right international health insurance cover
Here are some of our top tips:
- Make sure the plan covers the country where you live. Insurance companies sometimes limit your cover in certain countries. Make sure you’ll be fully covered where you and your family live and work.
- Pick the right plan. Health insurance gives you access to private healthcare. Your health plan sets the rules and limits of your access. That’s why it’s important to find a health plan with the benefits you need.
- Personalise your plan. Most insurance companies allow you to personalise your health plan. You’ll have options to increase your cover for certain benefits, e.g., dental cover, doctor visits. William Russell also gives you options to save money on your premium.
- Pick an excess. After choosing your plan, the excess you select is the most important factor affecting your premium. Most of our members choose a US$250 per annum excess, but larger excesses give a bigger discount on your premium. We offer excesses up to US$10,000 per annum.
FAQs on dental insurance
Why is dental health insurance so important for expats?
The statistics surrounding dentistry and oral health highlight that this is an area of growing concern. The UK’s Oral Health Foundation reported in 2020 that:
- Around 1 in 3 British adults (31%) have tooth decay
- There are over 8,000 new cases of mouth cancer each year in the UK
- Over three million Brits suffer from regular oral pain
Worldwide, the scale of the problem is even greater. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that oral diseases affect roughly half the global population, with oral cancers the third most common type of cancer in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, the WHO reports:
- Tooth decay is the most common health condition worldwide
- 1 in 10 people will experience periodontal gum disease, which often results in tooth loss
- The danger is greater for the one in seven adults worldwide who regularly smoke cigarettes, as well as for those who drink fizzy drinks and alcohol
The scale of the global oral health crisis cannot be under-stated.
More frequently asked questions on international health insuranceWhat’s not covered?
Unfortunately, we can’t provide coverage for orthodontic and periodontic consultations and treatment.
How much does dental care cost abroad?
In some countries, many types of dental treatments are only available privately
Even in countries with subsidised or public dental healthcare, you may still have to pay a share of the cost for certain procedures.
As of 2019, the ten most expensive countries for dental care worldwide, based on the average price of dental implant, are:
Country | Cost in US Dollars |
---|---|
Singapore | 2,700 |
USA | 2,500 |
Thailand | 1,720 |
Malaysia | 1,500 |
South Korea | 1,350 |
Israel | 1,200 |
Colombia | 1,200 |
Turkey | 1,100 |
Poland | 925 |
India | 900 |
Source: Statista
What is international health insurance?
Global health insurance (also known as international private medical insurance) gives you access to private healthcare around the world.
While most domestic health plans only cover you in one country, international health plans cover you in multiple (or even all) countries. They’re great for people who live and work abroad, or who spend lots of time travelling. Some international medical plans also include emergency medical evacuation cover so you can access urgent treatment even if it’s not available in your location.
Find out moreWhat if I’m a student abroad? Do I receive free dental care?
Some countries cover dental care under their universal healthcare policy, which includes students. Other countries may ask you to pay for dental treatments but offer free or discounted dental care for students.
If you’re a university student, you may also be eligible to receive free or discounted dental treatment through your institution.
However, generally speaking, it’s advisable for students to take out dental healthcare cover when living abroad. This will help in certain situations, for instance where emergency dental treatment is needed.
Is dental care free in the UK?
Dental care is subsidised but not free in the United Kingdom. If you have an NHS number, you will be eligible to sign up at an NHS dentist. This is assuming you can find one – many British dentists have long waiting lists for new patients.
An NHS dentist will ask you to pay certain fees, but you may not need to pay the full amount for certain treatments.
How much does private dental care cost in the UK?
Private dental care in the UK is notoriously expensive. Depending on the treatment required, you may be expected to pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds for a treatment.
It is therefore highly recommended you take out international healthcare cover with dental insurance if you are planning to move to the UK.
Do you only provide plans to expats?
In most cases, we can only provide insurance to expats. By expat, we mean people living and working outside of their country of nationality (e.g., a Dutch national living in Taiwan or a Canadian national living in India).
Typically, our members reside permanently in a foreign country. But we can sometimes provide cover to people expecting to spend at least 6 months of the year living or travelling abroad. In certain countries, we can cover people living in the same country that issues their passport. These countries are Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritius, Estonia and Malawi.
We can provide plans to people of all nationalities in most countries around the world. You must be under age 76 when your plan starts, and you must be living or working in a country different from your country of nationality.
Definition of an 'expat'How can I make a claim?
Making a claim with us is really easy.
If you need to claim for a benefit or treatment for which you must obtain pre-authorisation, you must contact us in advance of starting your treatment and give us all the information we require to assess if your proposed treatment will be eligible for cover under your plan. If your proposed treatment is eligible for cover, we will pre-authorise all eligible expenses. We will not pay for any treatment costs or expenses that have not been preauthorised by us in advance.
Follow these simple steps