Bupa Dental Care introduces Curodont® Repair, an innovative drill-free approach to treating early tooth decay, for patients of all ages, including eligible Bupa insurance customers

Bupa Dental Care has partnered with Swiss healthcare company vVARDIS – a specialist in the dental med-tech sector – to introduce Curodont® Repair across its UK practices, giving clinicians a drill-free option to treat the early stages of tooth decay.

Designed to help patients save their natural tooth structure, the innovative treatment is clinically proven to stop and reverse early tooth decay without the need for a drill, helping clinicians intervene earlier and closing a treatment gap between prevention and invasive restorations.

Supporting prevention and positive dental experiences at any age

The introduction of this new treatment reflects Bupa Dental Care's commitment to early intervention and preventive care and creates positive experiences for patients, particularly those who may feel anxious about dental treatment.

Dental anxiety can affect all ages, with more than half¹ (53%) reporting fear of visiting the dentist and 76%² of the UK having delayed or avoided dental appointments as a result. The fear can start early, with one in eight children under 10 (13%) saying they feel anxious about visiting the dentist, while those who are nervous, the biggest concerns are the feel of dental equipment (52%) and loud noises (46%).

Despite being largely preventable, tooth decay remains the world's most common disease, with around 2.5 billion people living with untreated cavities each year³. In England, it is also one of the leading causes of hospital admissions among young children⁴, yet research shows that when caught early, more than 90% of tooth decay in children and adolescents can be stabilised or improved. Early intervention matters for oral health and overall wellbeing, as poor oral health has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Neil Sikka, Director of Dentistry, Bupa Dental Care, said: “We know that positive early experiences of dental treatment can shape how people feel about dental care throughout their lives, and early intervention is critical for good oral health and wider wellbeing.

"By introducing Curodont® Repair for our patients and dental insurance customers, we're giving clinicians more options to treat early tooth decay before a filling is needed, helping preserve healthy tooth structure while providing greater choice for patients. Treatments like this can help people feel more at ease in the dental chair and support better oral health habits over the long term."

Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi, co-CEOs and co-Founders of vVARDIS, said: “We’re delighted to see Bupa Dental Care making Curodont® Repair available for clinicians across its practices. Our aim is to change the way tooth decay is managed by helping dental professionals treat it non-invasively, preserving their natural teeth and helping them feel more confident about going to the dentist.”

Note to editors:

*Subject to policy terms and available benefits. Eligible Bupa insurance customers may be able to claim for Curodont® treatment at participating Bupa Dental Care practices, with claims processed through Bupa's instant claim service, subject to policy terms and available benefits.

About the research:

The research was conducted by Ripple Effect among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents and 1,000 children aged 3–10. Fieldwork took place in March 2026.

About Bupa Global, India & UK:

Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. Health insurance accounts for a large part of our business with Bupa UK Insurance, the UK’s leading health insurer, providing health and dental cover to over 4.5 million customers. Bupa Global is the premium health insurance arm of Bupa, serving approximately 400,000 customers around the world. Niva Bupa is a leading provider of health insurance and retail health insurance in India with 26.7 million customers. Bupa Dental Care is a leading provider of dentistry in the UK, providing dental services in over 380 centres across the UK and Ireland. Bupa Care Services supports around 7,200 residents in 112 care homes and 10 Richmond Villages. Bupa Health Services includes over 120 health clinics, 23 Mindplace mental health centres, and the Cromwell Hospital, New Victoria Hospital and King Edward VII Hospital which provide care for insured, self-pay and international patients.

About vVARDIS AG

vVARDIS is a disruptive Swiss healthcare company in the dental med-tech sector headquartered in Zug, Switzerland that offers groundbreaking, non-invasive solutions for dental professionals with the Curodont® brand of products. Founded by Drs. Haley and Goly Abivardi, sisters, internationally renowned dentists, innovators and self-made serial entrepreneurs, vVARDIS is the result of more than 25 years of research, paired with the commitment of its founders to make an impact on people's lives, especially the underserved.

vVARDIS' mission is to expand access to novel approaches that create new standards of care in dentistry with the purpose of improving oral health – the foundation for overall health. Backed by 25 years of research and more than 10 years of use in clinical practices globally, vVARDIS’ products and science are supported by more than 250 scientific publications, including meta-analyses, peer-reviewed and long-term peer-reviewed real-world evidence clinical studies, with a documented success rate above 90%. Curodont® products are already presented in the lectures of renowned universities as a standard of care for the treatment of early decay. vVARDIS was awarded the 2026 Innovative Company of the Year and is a member of the World Economic Forum Unicorn Communities.

For more information, visit vVARDIS at www.vVARDIS.com and www.linkedin.com/company/vvardis.

____________________________

¹ https://www.dentalphobia.co.uk/

² Research conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 adults in the UK. The data was collected between 15th May 2024 and 18th May 2024.

³ World Health Organization, "Sugars and Dental Caries," WHO Fact Sheet, 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sugars-and-dental-caries

⁴ UK Health Security Agency, Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds 2025 (published 17 February 2026).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260824372410/en/

Media contacts:
Bupa Dental Care – Kate Wilkinson, Communications Executive, Corporate Affairs
kate.wilkinson@bupa.com
07354 813 463

vVARDIS – Becky Hargreaves, Account Manager | Barker PR
becky@barkerpr.com
07518 313 516

FGS Global on behalf of vVARDIS – James Gray, Managing Director
james.gray@fgsglobal.com
07814 379 412

Tags

More Like This

vVARDIS Founders Present Drill-Free Early Cavity Treatment and Unveil Global Cavity Awareness Campaign at the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

vVARDIS Announces Investment from Apollo —Achieves Unicorn Status

vVARDIS Announces Investment from Apollo —Achieves Unicorn Status

vVARDIS Advances Sustainable, Drill-Free Caries Management Consistent With WHO’s Forward-Looking Vision for Environmentally Friendly Oral Health

Haleon responds to latest OHID data: 11% rise in child tooth decay extractions

More NHS dentistry for those who need it most

Major boost for millions of NHS dental patients

Implantica strengthens market expansion as Italy's leading Careggi University Hospital in Florence introduces RefluxStop®