Dental treatments are costly. Here is how to finance them

Why do people often put off their regular visit to the dentist? That, health experts say, is because they give less importance to oral care and dental hygiene until it is too late. While regular visits to the dentists are as critical as regular body checks, most people wait till the toothache gets unbearable. By then though, the cost of treatment can soar. For instance, a root canal can cost several thousands of rupees and dental implants even more.

Karan Khona, a resident of Mumbai, says he had to spend more than ₹3 lakh recently for his mother Preeti Khona’s dental treatment. That sum covered the costs of five dental implants and three dental bridges and crowns, all done in a span of two months and several sittings.

Delhi-based Ganesh Jha says he paid ₹75,000 for dental implants at a clinic in his hometown, Chandigarh. “The same procedure would have cost me nearly ₹1 lakh in Delhi," he says.

Khona and Jha are among the millions of people who seek dental treatment in the country every year. According to the Indian Dental Association, the dental industry in India is estimated to be worth over $5 billion, with an estimated compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 20%.

Both Khona, a chartered accountant, and Jha paid for the treatments from their savings. They did so because their insurance policies did not cover the treatment costs. To be sure, most insurance policies in India do not cover dentistry, which is designated as outpatient department (OPD) treatment that does not require hospitalization. Very few insurers allow such claims as part of OPD cover in retail and corporate health policies. Separately, some non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) such as Bajaj Finserve, Fibe, Tata Capital have started offering zero-cost EMI option on loans for dental treatment.

Dental insurance