<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>5/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-12-29</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2013-02-11</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <form3HoldingsReported>0</form3HoldingsReported>

    <form4TransactionsReported>0</form4TransactionsReported>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001000228</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>HENRY SCHEIN INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>HSIC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001008413</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BERGMAN STANLEY M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O HENRY SCHEIN, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>135 DURYEA ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MELVILLE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>11747</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chairman, CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-12-19</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6160</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>640471</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Spouse</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType></transactionFormType>
            </transactionCoding>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>161990</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Limited Liability Company</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The Amount of Securities Disposed of by way of gift in line 1 of Table I of the reporting person's original Form 5 has been amended to 6,160 shares.  The balance of the securities previously reported as disposed of by way of gift (33,744 shares) should have been reported as a mere change in the nature of indirect beneficial ownership, as reflected in line 2 of Table I of this amended Form 5.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Gift, not applicable.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents (i) 635,962 shares held by the Bergman Family 2010 Trust 2, of which Marion Bergman, Stanley M. Bergman's wife, is a co-trustee and a beneficiary and (ii) 4,509 shares held by Mrs. Bergman.  The number of shares reported in the prior sentence reflects a distribution of 6,160 shares made by the Bergman Family 2010 Trust 2 to Mrs. Bergman on December 19, 2012.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Represents shares held by a limited liability company.  Stanley M. Bergman and Marion Bergman, Mr. Bergman's wife, each have voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares held by the limited liability company.  These shares were omitted from the reporting person's original Form 5, and were also omitted from three Form 4s filed by the reporting person after his original Form 5 was filed.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Stanley M. Bergman</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-06-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
