Unum Dental is set to widen its reach across UK workplaces to help even more people, having secured the renewal rights for global health services provider Cigna’s dental customers as the insurer divests its UK dental business.

The decision is grounded in the two parties’ shared values of putting customers first and comes as Unum Dental experiences rapidly rising demand for its workplace dental cover. This rising demand is against a backdrop of high UK inflation and a cost-of-living crunch, all while dental costs have increased for basic and essential oral healthcare.

In April 2023, the cost of NHS dentistry in England jumped by a historic 8.5%, outstripping the increase in employees’ average pay that month by 2 percentage points. The British Dental Association warns the cost is shaping how millions of patients make clinical choices about their oral health.

Unum Dental:

• Remains the only UK dental insurer with 'Recognised' product status from the Oral Health Foundation

• Provides Dental Insurance to nearly 270,000 employees at close to 1,000 businesses of all sizes

• Paid just over £24 million of claims in 2022

• Has a 4.5 out of 5 service rating on Trustpilot

• Offers resources on preventative oral health measures

• Gives access to retail discounts and savings to help employees with everyday spending

Glenn Thompson, Chief Distribution Officer at Unum UK, commented: “We are investing and growing in areas that reflect the needs and requirements of our customers and broker partners, and Dental Insurance is a key driver of our strategy and ambitious growth plans.

“Unum’s average payout per claim rose by 24% between 2021 and 2022, signifying the upward pressure on a range of everyday costs, including essential healthcare expenditure.

“We are one of the UK’s leading employee benefits providers and will be ensuring a smooth transition for new dental customers.”