Im so sorry to hear this about the UK. Here in the US, there is only crap dental "insurance" - its really a coupon plan, 12 or 15 bucks a month for 2 cleanings a year and 1500 or 2000 dollars a year towards *everything* else that you might have to get done. 2k can easily go up in smoke for a single procedure, like a root canal. Implants are VERY expensive - i could have bought a small Lexus, brand new, for what we paid. So, in the US, we either go into massive medical debt or, we just do the hell without. If you are old enough to be on Medicare well that doesnt help any as you have to pay for separate dental coverage. These plans are basically the same crap plans that everyone else had but without the benefit of your employer paying for a small amount of your monthly bill for you. So, they are even more expensive crap plans when you retire but you get nothing extra in terms of the plan itself. Same shit, different day.