Blog article
Your guide to dental cover
Types of dental services
We’ve broken all kinds of services into four easy-to-understand categories so you can make sense of different dental treatments.
Preventative dental
Covers essentials like everyday check-ups that care for your teeth and keep them healthier for longer. Includes services like:
- Examinations
An evaluation of the current status of your teeth and mouth. - Scale and cleans
Remove plaque and tartar that can't be removed with everyday brushing and flossing. - Custom mouthguards
Protect teeth during sport.
Restorative dental
Covers minor treatments that fix common dental issues. These treatments can prevent more extensive procedures down the track. Includes services like:
- Simple fillings
Prevent tooth decay from continuing to damage teeth. - Extractions
Remove teeth, including surgical removal of wisdom teeth.
Major dental & Implants
Covers complex treatments that involve repairing or replacing teeth. Includes services like:
- Crowns
A cover or “cap” that is placed over a damaged tooth. May also be used to improve a tooth's appearance, shape or alignment. - Bridges
Used to replace a missing tooth with a false tooth. The bridge is attached to the teeth or implants on either side of the missing tooth. - Endodontics
Treats the pulp tissue in the tooth and the tissue surrounding the roots of a tooth. Treatment may include a root canal. - Implants
Replace a missing tooth by placing an implant into the jawbone. A crown is attached to make the implant look like your other teeth.
Orthodontics
Covers treatments that straighten teeth and correct problems with biting, chewing, and jaw alignment. Includes services like:
- Braces
Bands and brackets that align and straighten teeth. - Palatal expanders
An appliance that widens the upper or lower jaw to prevent crowding of teeth and cross bites.
For more information on Orthodontics, visit our simple guide to Orthodontics and how it works.
Orthodontic treatment has a lifetime limit. This is the maximum amount you can claim over the course of your life. In determining if you have reached the lifetime limit for your product, we consider the amount you have claimed from HBF and any other health funds.
What am I covered for?
If you’re ever unsure of what you’re covered for, or are expecting treatment, make sure you check out your limits and how much you can claim.
MyHBF and the HBF app are super useful for checking what you’re covered for and how much you’ve already claimed this year.
Don’t have the HBF app yet? Download now.
For information on your benefits or the amount you can claim back for each service, please contact us.
The different types of limits
- Benefit: The amount you can claim back or the amount we’ll pay towards a service. Your benefit depends on the level of cover you have—generally, the higher your level of cover, the greater your benefit.
- Annual limits: The maximum amount of money you can claim for a service within a calendar year. Each person on your policy has their own annual limits.
- Lifetime limit: The total amount you can claim for a service over the course of your lifetime. A lifetime limit applies to orthodontic cover with HBF. That means, once you’ve claimed your limit for orthodontics, you won’t be able to claim again. Each person on your policy has their own lifetime limit.
Remember, as your life changes, so will your cover and health care needs. It helps to plan ahead, so you ensure you’re still covered for what you actually need.
How can I save on dental with the Member Plus provider network?
As an HBF member, you can use your dental cover at any HBF approved dental provider.
However, if you use an HBF Member Plus dental provider, we have negotiated special arrangements, so you’ll get:
- 100% back on your first scale and clean each year.1
- Between 75% and 100% back for other preventative dental services*
Our Member Plus dental provider network spans across a few different Australian states, check if your local dentist is already a part of it. Find a provider.
What about my wisdom teeth?
Worried about your wisdom teeth? Check out our guide to getting on top of tooth troubles here.
How often should you go to the dentist?
1 For eligible members when provided by a Member Plus provider. Subject to annual limits. Waiting periods may apply.
2 For eligible HBF members with extras cover at HBF Dental Centres from 1 May 2023. Check-up and clean include comprehensive examination, scale and clean, fluoride treatment and up to 2 x-rays, as clinically necessary. Limit of one visit per person per calendar year, waiting periods and other exclusions apply. Learn more at hbfdental.com.au
* Subject to cover held. Services must be provided by a Member Plus dental provider. Member Plus dental arrangements available in WA, NSW, VIC, QLD, and ACT only. Waiting periods and limits may apply before benefits are payable.
This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.
