The level of dental insurance cover, like all other insurance, tends to vary from policy to policy but as a general rule cosmetic dentistry procedures, for the sake of appearance, are not covered by dental insurance.

One main indicator as to what won’t be covered by dental insurance is whether or not the dental care you are seeking is for the sake of appearance or for the ongoing care of your teeth.

• Take for example tooth whitening. Tooth whitening is a cosmetic procedure with its only impact being on the colour of your teeth. Standard dental insurance policies will not cover cosmetic procedures such as tooth whitening

• Dental implants are likely to be an exclusion on a standard dental insurance policy with such dental work being for appearance and comfort rather than the care of your teeth. Unless you have opted for an insurance (which obviously comes at a price) that includes certain cosmetic procedures the high cost of tooth implants could be coming straight out of your own pocket.

• The fixing of porcelain veneers is another procedure that is unlikely to be covered by dental insurance, again, a cosmetic procedure purely for the sake of appearance. It might be possible to claim the cost of defective cosmetic dental work from your dental insurance but not the cost of the original work.

• Basic braces are often covered by dental insurance but if you want something more sophisticated such as invisible braces then you will generally have to cover the cost yourself.

• Dental insurance might or might not cover the cost of tooth bonding with it basically coming down to the reason the work is being done.

• Dental insurance is likely to cover the cost of amalgam fillings but if you want the more visually appealing white fillings then expect to pay.

• If you need a crown and there is no other option then your dental insurance provider is likely to insist on the cheaper option of porcelain fused to a metal crown. It will do the job can look quite fake. If you want a natural looking porcelain crown then you’ll need to cover the additional cost.

This is just a short summary of likely dental insurance exclusions. It’s a rule of thumb and not a given so make sure you never pay out for dental insurance until you know what you are going to get for your money. Compare policies so that you get best value for money and make sure it is clear as to what costs you will have to cover yourself.

Be warned. One story I heard just the other day was that someone lost and damaged a significant number of teeth when he was pushed to the ground hitting his mouth full on. His dental insurance covered less than half of the $15,000 dental bill!