With living costs consistently on the rise in the UK many individuals and families are finding they are being forced to cut corners on things they never would have dreamt of. Health matters and their related products has been one of the sectors recently hit by the penny pinching prioritising of the average working household.

All other concerns take a back seat when your health comes into question and so they should, with that in mind surely one should never have to compromise on their health of and that of their loved ones. Unfortunately, a recent study carried out by HSA health insurance has shown this to be untrue. A saddening 25% of working adults have refrained from visiting the dentist simply because the costs are too high!

The Annual Dental Survey of 2008 which questioned a cross section of almost a thousand consumers across the country found that over 25% felt looking after their oral health was an unaffordable luxury! When did things get so tight that looking after your mouth and its contents was deemed an option and not an essential? One would be mistaken if they thought that this was a phenomenon that was hitting only the social elite, after all doesn't the NHS offer a service that is both suitable and affordable? For those asking such, the simple answer is NO! Richard Halley an HSA spokesman stated that their results came “shortly after the NHS has revealed that half a million fewer adults are visiting” the “dentist than two years ago”. What has prompted such a drastic fall no one seems to definitively sure of, it could be related to the fact that the cost of celebrity lifestyle emulation has left no funds for the essential items such as health costs.

In addition to the above concern, is that an obscene 27% of consumers in the research group had struggled to find an NHS dentist. If then this is something affecting the average Joe what can be done to alleviate the situation? Rather than assume that one simply has to concentrate harder on nurturing their savings, which if one is being honest is an unrealistic option as they are already maxed out on all four of their credit cards! A more realistic and affordable option is that of health insurance, commonly taken out to cover or contribute heavily to the costs of both dental and optical treatments.

On a more specific front, HSA dental insurance has plans starting from as little as £1.70 a week which will no doubt offer you the peace of mind that when your 6 monthly or yearly check-up comes around your blanket cover will provide “100% money back for dental health maintenance” which includes “check-ups, x-rays and hygienist visits” within your annual limit which of course is outlined by you when you take out your policy. On top of that, HSA will provide “75% money back for dental treatment bills such as fillings, bridges and crowns” again the annual limit will be stipulated by you when you make your application. If you're looking to obtain suitable cover for the entire family then affordability will be very important, a feature that HSA has accounted for, covering “All resident children under the age of 18 can be covered from as little as £1 extra per month”. In the event of an accident resulting in your teeth suffering damage you will be covered for the treatment required.

Before signing up to any health insurance provider it is vital you read the exclusions for not doing so can render your entire policy null and void, essentially a waste of your money! In the case of HSA it is wise to note that both “pre-existing conditions and cosmetic dentistry/procedures are not covered”, so if you are looking to simply make your smile brighter and are hoping your cover-plan will pick up the tab you will again be wasting your money.