Private Medical Insurance — Explained
What is Dental & Optical Cover?
Dental and optical cover is an optional add-on available alongside a private medical insurance (PMI) policy that helps meet the everyday costs of looking after your teeth and eyesight.
It can cover routine dental appointments, emergency dental treatment, eye tests, and optical costs such as prescription glasses or contact lenses — depending on the level of cover selected.
WHAT IS IT?
Dental and optical cover at a glance
Dental and optical needs are not covered under a standard PMI policy. They sit outside the scope of core private health insurance, which focuses on diagnosis, treatment, and hospital care for medical conditions.
A dental and optical add-on works differently. Rather than covering the cost of treating illness or injury, it provides a cash benefit or reimbursement allowance that helps offset the routine costs of dental and optical appointments and treatments.
The level of benefit available varies between insurers. Some policies offer a fixed annual allowance across dental and optical combined, while others operate separate benefit limits for each. Cover may include NHS or private dental treatment, emergency dental work, eye tests, glasses, contact lenses, and laser eye surgery, depending on the policy selected.
It is worth noting that dental and optical add-ons are typically subject to annual claim limits and benefit caps, so they work best as a contribution towards costs rather than a full replacement for those costs.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Dental and optical cover helps you claim back some of the cost of routine eye tests, dental check-ups, glasses, and dental treatment — either through a cash benefit or a reimbursement allowance. It sits alongside your PMI policy and is an optional extra rather than part of your core health insurance cover.
How it fits into your policy
Dental and optical cover is typically purchased as an add-on to a PMI policy rather than as a standalone product, though some insurers offer it independently.
It complements your core health insurance by addressing everyday health maintenance costs that fall outside the scope of standard PMI — helping to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for routine appointments that most people need at least once a year.
For those who use private dental care regularly, or who rely on prescription glasses or contact lenses, a dental and optical add-on can provide meaningful value across the course of a policy year.
What's typically included
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Routine dental check-ups
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Dental hygienist appointments
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NHS or private dental treatment (fillings, extractions, crowns)
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Emergency dental treatment
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Dental accident cover
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Eye tests
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Prescription glasses and frames
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Contact lenses
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Laser eye surgery (on selected policies)
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Optical accident cover