Extras cover · November 2026
Best extras cover for dental
219 extras policies from funds anyone can join pay towards this. For two dental visits a year, seven of the 219 pay back more than they cost. GMHBA’s SmartCare Starter Extras does best, +$59 ahead.
The ten that come out best
Worked for one adult in NSW, under 65, on the Base rebate, over a year: 2 × general dental at $200. That is $400 with no cover. Ahead means the policy paid back more than its premiums; behind means paying your own way would have cost less.
$341 in premiums, $400 back
Go to GMHBA (opens in a new tab)$146 in premiums, $200 back
Go to Bupa (opens in a new tab)$159 in premiums, $200 back
Go to ahm (opens in a new tab)$371 in premiums, $400 back
Go to Phoenix Health (opens in a new tab)$192 in premiums, $200 back
Go to Bupa (opens in a new tab)$193 in premiums, $200 back
Go to ahm (opens in a new tab)$197 in premiums, $200 back
Go to Westfund (opens in a new tab)$35 in premiums, $25 back
Go to nib (opens in a new tab)$265 in premiums, $250 back
Go to GMHBA (opens in a new tab)$220 in premiums, $200 back
Go to Australian Unity (opens in a new tab)
The middle policy of the 219 leaves you $520 behind, and the one at the bottom, Bupa’s Top Extras 90, $1,936 behind. A policy near the bottom is not a bad policy: it covers far more than two dental visits, and you would be paying for all of it.
Your year is not exactly this one.
Put in what you actually use, in your state, for a couple or a family, and the calculator ranks every policy against it. It takes about two minutes and asks for no name or email.
Work out mine →Where the biggest funds land
The best policy for this from each of the six largest brands, and its place among all 219.
- Medibank Healthy Living Extras21st$145 behind
- Bupa Extras Saver2nd+$54 ahead
- HCF Starter Extras13th$107 behind
- nib DentalPass8th$10 behind
- HBF Smart Start Extras22nd$154 behind
- ahm choosable 50 – teeth3rd+$41 ahead
State by state
Premiums differ by state, so the order does too. The best policy for one adult in each state, and how many pay back at least what they cost there. Prices in the ACT follow NSW.
| State | Best policy | Over the year | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 219 |
| VIC | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 219 |
| QLD | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 216 |
| WA | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 219 |
| SA | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 219 |
| TAS | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 218 |
| NT | GMHBA SmartCare Starter Extras | +$59 ahead | 7 of 219 |
What to know
General dental is the routine work: check-ups, a scale and clean, x-rays and simple fillings. Crowns, root canals and braces are separate benefits with their own limits and a wait of about twelve months, so they are not part of this ranking.
Many policies pay a set dollar amount per item, not a share of the bill, so two people on the same policy can get different amounts back from different dentists. Some funds also have dentists of their own who charge members nothing for a check-up. The ranking uses the benefit each policy lists, so a fund with an arrangement like that can do better for you than it shows here.
Waiting periods count against every policy here, as they would for someone joining now. If you already hold a policy and have served its waits, the calculator can price it beside every other one.
Best extras for something else
Worked from the Australian Government’s Private Health Open Listing, 01-Nov-2026, with the same sums as the calculator: listed premiums after the rebate, benefits capped by each policy’s limits and waiting periods. Typical prices are the calculator’s defaults and your provider may charge more or less. Restricted funds, corporate products and extras sold only with a hospital policy are left out. How the sums work.
This is general information, not personal financial advice. Confirm the premium and benefits with the fund before you buy or switch. Independent of every fund listed · No affiliate fees, no commissions.