Travel Insurance Plans on PolicyBazaar#1
- Individuals
- Sr. Citizens
- Students
Does Travel Insurance Cover Dental Expenses?
Yes, dental expenses are covered by international travel insurance plans. However, only emergency dental expenses are covered by insurance. What's more, not all policies offer this coverage. It's crucial to compare different plans to know if they cover you well enough.
For example, someone visiting Thailand briefly may only need basic coverage, but a student enrolled in a one-year program in the UK may need extensive coverage. You should consider factors like age, health, pre-existing dental issues, how expensive the destination is, and any other risk to decide on your plans.
Deductibles & Limits under Emergency Dental Treatment
Most travel insurance plans have a limited sum insured for dental emergency-related expenses. You should keep the following in mind:
Most plans have a fixed deductible of USD 50 or USD 100 for every dental incident. This means you will have to pay this expense first before your travel health insurance covers your dental expenses.
Unlike your regular medicare plans in India, if you exhaust your dental sub-limits then it can't be refilled for the remaining trip. This also means that if you exhaust your limit in one dental emergency and unfortunately, face another one, you won't be able to claim another dental expense.
Scope of Emergency Treatment for Different Travellers
Dental emergencies are sudden and painful, but they are worse when you are in another country with no immediate support. Many travel insurance not only offer dental coverage for travellers but also additional benefits depending on their risks and needs.
Take a look at how different plans cover dental emergencies abroad:
| Type of Travel/Plan | Coverage Scope | Sub-Limit |
| Tourists/Single-trip Travel Insurance | Covers any crucial emergency to help the traveller return to 'travel-ready' state. | USD 150 - USD 500 |
| Students/Student Travel Insurance | Covers medically necessary procedures that will delay or affect your studies. Medically necessary extension available in many plans. | USD 500 - USD 1,000 |
| Elderly Travellers/Senior Citizen Travel Insurance | Covers acute pain relief only; most policies exclude age-related wear, old implants or pre-existing gum diseases. | USD 250 - USD 400 |
What is Covered or Not Covered under Emergency Dental Treatment
What Does Emergency Dental Treatment Benefit Cover?
Dental coverage under travel insurance strictly covers emergency treatments only. These are the only two specific 'acute' scenarios that your policy can cover:
Relief of Acute Pain
You will be covered for treatment for an intense dental pain that can't wait until you return to India. This should be confirmed by the TPA, or you should get a written prescription from the doctor who ensures that the procedure can't be delayed until your return to India.
Accidental Injury to Natural Teeth
Injuries or accidents impacting your natural teeth require urgent care. If a fall or situation damages your teeth, then your insurer will cover the necessary repair expenses. However, this is only covered if you damage your sound, natural teeth and not for implants or crowns.
What Does Emergency Dental Treatment Benefit Not Cover?
Exclusions are important to know what you will not be covered for. Dental exclusions, too, have some nuances that every traveller must keep in mind:
In case you need any corrective treatment because of previously fitted implants, caps, bridges or crowns, it won't be covered.
Scaling, plaque removal and other routine check-ups are not included under emergency dental care while travelling abroad.
If your TPA (third party administrator) deems your treatment non-urgent, i.e., it can wait until you are back home in India, you won't be covered.
How to Claim for Emergency Dental Treatment
You can raise a claim online by following these steps:
Tell your insurer about the situation through their app or global toll-free number as soon as possible.
Make sure that your dentist explicitly writes that the treatment was for your 'Sound Natural Tooth' and not for an existing crown/implant/denture.
Ensure that all your X-rays or intra-oral photos taken before and after the procedure are high resolution. Your insurer will need their digital copies during claim settlement.
Make sure that your bill is itemized in English or has a certified translation. It should have the exact breakdown of surgical, anesthesia and pharmacy costs.
Emergency Dental Treatment During Travel: FAQs
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Q. Is root canal treatment covered by travel insurance?
Ans: No, RCT is not covered by most policies unless it is the only way to provide immediate relief from acute pain during your journey abroad. Even then, the coverage will be limited. -
Q. Will my travel insurance policy cover expenses if my bridge or crown falls out while eating?
Ans: This common travel mishap is strictly excluded from most Indian travel insurance policies. This is because repairing or replacing artificial teeth, dentures, etc., are considered maintenance/restoration and not damage to ‘sound natural teeth’. -
Q. Does my policy cover dental pain due to an old cavity?
Ans: If this cavity was present before you left India, it will be considered a PED or pre-existing condition. Most insurers don’t cover any PEDs and only cover dental emergencies that are new, sudden or cause you acute pain.
Travel insurance companies
Aditya Birla
Bajaj General
Care
Cholamandalam MS
Digit
Future Generali
HDFC ERGO General
ICICI Lombard
IFFCO Tokio
IndusInd General
National Insurance
New India Assurance
Niva Bupa
Oriental
Royal Sundaram
SBI General
Shriram General
Star
Tata AIG
United India
Universal Sompo
Zurich Kotak
