Tesco Spots Gap in Tooth Insurance Market

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Tesco Spots Gap in Tooth Insurance Market

Tesco is to offer dental insurance plans to try and save the nation's teeth. Why is it that even 'poor' Americans always seem to have excellent teeth ? Whereas in the UK even TV presenters can't seem to keep their teeth in good condition? I've often wondered.

There used to be a time, not so long ago, when a visit to the dentist was free in the UK. The dentists weren't very good and in fact British dentistry was widely considered to be a complete joke in France where I lived for a long time, but at least it was free. Although they got paid per treatment by the government, which meant they often invented unnecessary treatments. If, for exampl,e a check-up found that there was nothing wrong with your teeth the dentist was paid nothing, so it was in his/her interest to find something to drill just to get paid something for his/her valualble time !

Now of course things are different! Lots of people no longer bothe rgoing to the dentist in the UK because they can't afford it. That doesn't mean that because the dentists are expensive that they are any better as a result, it just means they are more expensive. In fact you pay for them twice, once through your income taxes and national insurance, which gives you entitlement to precisely nothing and once when you go to see them.

This means that more and more people are going abroad to get their teeth fixed, and also for other operations by the way. A trip to France with two nights in a hotel and dental treatment still works out cheaper than a visit to the dentist in the UK and the dental treatment is better too !

This also means that there is a growing market for private insurance, so Tesco having spotted a gap in the tooth market and is to start offering dental insurance cover. It already launched health insurance in January for which it joned forces with AXA PPP Healthcare.

It is launching two products - one for national health service dental patients and one for those who prefer private treatment (carried out by the same dentists, so what the difference is lord only knows - maybe they get more money for private work, so they try harder ? ) . Boots and HSA are already operating in the dental insurance market. However, Tesco is the first supermarket to move into this area. Perhaps they will drive down prices ? (Only kidding).

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