2026 benefit year · compiled from the scheme’s published documents
Bestmed dental benefits, in plain language
Bestmed's dental cover follows one clear pattern across most of its range: prevention is paid from scheme risk, so it doesn't touch your savings. On Beat2, Beat3, Beat4 and all four Pace options, your preventative dentistry is funded as an insured benefit — a full-mouth exam once a year (twice a year for children under 12), a scale and polish twice a year, fluoride twice a year, and fissure sealants up to age 21.
Beyond prevention, your own money works first. On Beat2 and Beat3, fillings and other dentistry come from your savings until they run out. Beat4 and the Pace options add an insured dental limit that takes over once savings are done — each option has its own annual rand amount — and Pace4 pays day-to-day dentistry mainly from risk, with only a small savings component.
Two forks are worth knowing before you plan a visit. Beat1 and Beat1 Network are hospital plans with no out-of-hospital dental benefit at all. And the income-based Rhythm1 and Rhythm2 options cover basic dentistry only through the Bestmed Rhythm Dental Network.
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We claim directly from medical aids. Before treatment we do a benefit check with your scheme — bring your card and your option name — so you know what your plan pays before you sit in the chair. You pay only co-payments and anything your plan doesn’t cover or has already used up. And as always: we quote before we treat.
Option by option
As published for the 2026 benefit year (checked 2026-07-29). Benefits are re-registered every year and can change — the benefit check is what makes it certain for you.
Beat1 / Beat1 Network
No routine benefit- Routine check-up
- No
- What that includes
- No out-of-hospital dentistry benefit; preventative dentistry: no benefit
- Paid from
- None (hospital plan)
- Network rule
- Beat network option: network hospitals (R15,025 co-pay if not)
- Co-payments & gaps
- You pay all routine dentistry; dental/oral surgery PMB-only at DSP day hospitals
Beat2 / Beat2 Network
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Full-mouth exam 1x/yr (12+) or 2x/yr (<12); scale & polish 2x/yr; fluoride 2x/yr; 2 intraoral photos/yr; full-mouth X-rays every 36 months; sealants to 21; space maintainers
- Paid from
- Preventative dentistry from RISK; other basic + specialised from Savings
- 2026 limits
- Preventative per schedule; rest limited by Savings; dental & oral surgery: R6,642 family/yr (age 7 & under; over-7 chair procedures from savings)
- Network rule
- Any dentist; network hospital option R15,025 co-pay if bypassed
- Co-payments & gaps
- Savings empty = self-pay for non-preventative work; above-tariff gap yours
Beat3 / Beat3 Network / Beat3 Plus
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule as Beat2
- Paid from
- Preventative from RISK; basic + specialised from Savings
- 2026 limits
- Dental & oral surgery R10,217 family/yr
- Network rule
- As Beat2
- Co-payments & gaps
- As Beat2
Beat4
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule
- Paid from
- Preventative from RISK; then Savings first, then insured day-to-day dental limit
- 2026 limits
- Day-to-day dental: R7,149 single member / R14,359 family (within overall day-to-day R16,227 / R32,452); dental & oral surgery R12,772 family
- Network rule
- Any dentist
- Co-payments & gaps
- Beyond limits = self-pay; above-tariff gap
Pace1
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule
- Paid from
- Preventative from RISK; Savings first, then insured dental limit
- 2026 limits
- Dental limit R5,228 member / R10,609 family (in overall day-to-day R13,794 / R27,586); oral surgery R10,217 family
- Network rule
- Any dentist
- Co-payments & gaps
- Beyond limits self-pay; above-tariff gap
Pace2
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule
- Paid from
- Preventative from RISK; Savings first, then insured limit
- 2026 limits
- Dental R8,762 member / R17,527 family; ortho R8,500 per event (to 18); oral surgery R16,979 family
- Network rule
- Any dentist
- Co-payments & gaps
- Beyond limits self-pay
Pace3
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule
- Paid from
- Preventative from RISK; Savings first, then insured limit
- 2026 limits
- Dental R9,442 member / R17,603 family; ortho R10,929 per event; oral surgery R21,335 family
- Network rule
- Any dentist
- Co-payments & gaps
- Beyond limits self-pay
Pace4
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - FREE risk-paid exam
- What that includes
- Same preventative schedule
- Paid from
- Preventative + day-to-day from RISK (savings only 3%)
- 2026 limits
- Dental R15,759 member / R26,598 family; ortho R13,357 per event; oral surgery R25,542 family
- Network rule
- Any dentist
- Co-payments & gaps
- Beyond limits self-pay
Rhythm1
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - via network
- What that includes
- Basic dentistry (incl preventative services) through Rhythm Dental Network
- Paid from
- Insured (risk) via network; income-based contributions (from R1,736)
- 2026 limits
- Per network protocols and code list
- Network rule
- Bestmed Rhythm Dental Network Providers ONLY
- Co-payments & gaps
- Outside network = your cost; R15,025 non-DSP hospital co-pay
Rhythm2
Check-up covered- Routine check-up
- Yes - via network
- What that includes
- As Rhythm1
- Paid from
- Insured via network; income-based
- 2026 limits
- Per network protocols
- Network rule
- Rhythm Dental Network ONLY
- Co-payments & gaps
- Outside network = your cost
Worth knowing before you book
- Beat1 and Beat1 Network have no routine dental benefit — every check-up, clean and filling is paid from your own pocket.
- Rhythm1 and Rhythm2 pay only at Bestmed Rhythm Dental Network providers — outside the network the whole bill is yours, and neither option covers specialised dentistry.
- On Beat2 and Beat3, once your savings are empty, everything beyond the risk-paid preventative visits is self-paid.
- Bestmed pays at its own tariff — if a dentist charges above it, the difference is always yours, even where a benefit is otherwise unlimited.
Tell us your option — we’ll check your benefits before you visit.
This page describes the scheme’s published benefits — it isn’t financial advice, and every treatment plan here starts with a benefit check and a quote.