Here are the Best Dental Insurance Plans of 2024 (2024)

Routine dentist visits are paramount to maintaining a healthy smile. And with a dental insurance plan, you can avoid paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

The American Dental Associationestimates that in 2013, adults without dental insurance plans paid on average between $685 and $1,624 per year out of pocket for market value dental care. All age groups face more financial obstacles to dental care than any other health service, yet children face lower financial barriers to dental care than working-aged adults and seniors, as average costs tend to increase as one grows older.

The consequences of avoiding the dentist only worsen the longer you wait. Plaque buildup, cavities and late detection of oral cancer can all be prevented with regular dentist visits.

Still, cost is the primary barrier to getting dental care,according to the ADA. This is especially evident in recent years: About 15.2% of the U.S. population who needed dental care between 2013 and 2016 did not get it due to affordability, lack of coverage for their procedures and other financial hurdles.

Fortunately, you have plenty of budget-friendly dental insurance policies to choose from. To make your search easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best dental insurance providers on the market.

Key takeaways:

• Plans from dental insurance companies are similar to health insurance, though premiums and deductibles are much lower. Monthly premiums are usually less than $50, while annual deductibles average $50 to $100.
• Dental insurance plans typically use a 100-80-50 cost-sharing model, paying 100% of the cost of preventative and diagnostic services, 80% of basic dental services such as fillings and 50% for major procedures and surgeries.
• After a deep analysis, we found that UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Delta Dental, Humana and Renaissance are currently the top five dental insurance providers in the United States.
• This roundup of dental insurance plans is based on an examination of monthly premiums, annual deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, benefits and services covered, waiting periods and other limitations, and the size and geographical scope of provider networks available from dental insurance companies.

*Starting rates; exact rates vary by location, age and other factors.

As the largest dental insurer in the United States, Delta Dental and its 39 independent dental insurance companies offer comprehensive dental coverage in all states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. The firm’s network includes over 150,000 participating dentists nationwide, serving more than 80 million customers.

Delta Dental offers HMO and PPO plans as well as managed fee-for-service and discount options.

Pros:

• Extensive network of more than 150,000 providers
• Discount plans available: Customers can choose from participating dentists who offer discounted fees
• 4/5 stars based on 495 ratings in the past year onConsumerAffairs
• A (excellent) financial strength ratingfrom AM Best

Cons:

• Low maximum benefits, with many plans capping at $1,000
• Limited coverage and cost-sharing for orthodontic care

Here’s a sampling of the dental insurance plans available for a 40-year-old person living in Raleigh, North Carolina:

The Anthem insurance company covers 42 million people who use its insurance coverage policies in 14 states, making it a significant insurance provider in the U.S. There are a number of dental insurance plans to choose from and members have access to valuable resources and digital tools that can be very helpful.

A big part of what makes the Anthem company different from other insurance companies is its size. The company is part of the larger Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and offers one of the largest networks of dental providers in the country. There are also some downsides with insurance from Anthem, like non-customizable plans and limited availability in certain parts of the country.

Pros:

• A great option for individuals needing standard insurance plans and coverage
• Can bundle with health and vision policies
• Part of the immense line of Blue Cross Blue Shield companies

Cons:

• Limited availability in only 14 states
• Not suitable for personalized coverage or small companies
• Millions of members affected by a data breach hack in 2015

Here are the Anthem dental insurance options for a 47-year-old, non-smoking male living in Atlanta, Georgia:

With around 20 million members and amarket share hovering 8%, Kentucky-based Humana Inc. is a rising star in the American health insurance market. It provides a wide range of dental policies and a network of 260,000 dentists across the United States. Humana offers PPO, DHMO, discount and value plans for every budget.

Pros:

• Large network spanning 260,000 dentists
• Offers a wide range of options, including plans for veterans
• Some plans offer an annual allowance for teeth whitening services (in office)
• AM Bestgives Humana’s dental subsidiaries a financial strength rating of A- (excellent)

Cons:

• Low maximum benefits
• Limited coverage for major services
• Not all plans and benefits are available in every state

Here’s a sampling of dental insurance plans available for a 50-year-old person living in Colorado:

Indiana’s Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America covers more than 13 million customers nationwide. Its nationwide network offers access to 300,000 dental providers.

Renaissance Dental insurance offers a decent selection of dental insurance plans, as well as a Healthy Savings Card serving over 175,000 participating locations.

The company boasts high-quality customer service, answering 99% of calls on first contact last year.

Pros:

• No waiting periods for preventative and diagnostic services
• Some plans don’t have a network; customers can choose any provider they want
• Large network with access to over 300,000 dental providers
• Offers coverage for implants and crowns
• A (excellent) financial strength rating fromAM Best
• 3.9 out of 5 stars based on 17 reviews onConsumersAdvocate.org

Cons:

• Low annual benefit maximums at $1,000

Here are Renaissance’s dental insurance plan offerings for a 50-year-old person living in Los Angeles, California:

The MetLife dental insurance network includes thousands of dentists, so you can search by ZIP Code, specialties and even languages to find the right one. Most cleanings and exams are covered 100% for in-network providers. While Metlife gives you the flexibility to see both in-network and out-of-network providers, you will enjoy the biggest savings by staying in the network. As a member of MetLife, you may receive lower fees from MetLife’s in-network partnerships. These negotiated fees are usually 30% to 45% lower than the average and give you lower out-of-pocket costs for dental care.

MetLife is a good choice for businesses that want to give their employees extra benefits and coverage. Unfortunately, MetLife doesn’t have as many options for people who buy insurance on their own, making it more challenging to find the right individual plan and price. Numerous dental insurance providers offer more coverage options to people who independently buy their policies.

Pros:

• Offers various types of dental insurance plans, including employer-provided, veterans, federal and individual
• Choose in-network or out-of-network oral care providers
• Fixed fees for different service treatments and products to mitigate confusion about prices
• 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 56 reviews on ConsumersAdvocate.org

Cons:

• Fewer individual dental plans than group plans
• Pricing information isn’t fully accessible online
• Customer service web portal is more tailored to businesses and employees rather than individual members

Here are the individual dental insurance coverage plans offered through the MetLife TakeAlong Dental plan for a 42-year-old in California:

Minnesota-headquartered UnitedHealthcare is one of the United State’s top three insurance providers. Its UnitedHealthOne provider network offers access to participating dentists across the nation.

UnitedHealthcare dental plans cover preventive care often with no deductible or waiting periods. There’s no maximum age limit on the company’s dental insurance plans.

Pros:

• Easy to get quotes for dental insurance plans on the company’s website
• Extensive provider network through UnitedHealthOne
• Preventative care often covered with no deductible or waiting period
• 4/5 stars onConsumerAffairsbased on 373 ratings submitted in the last year
• A (excellent) financial strength ratingfrom AM Best

Cons:

• No coverage for major services on dental insurance plans with low monthly premiums
• Limited coverage options for major procedures and orthodontic care
• Some dental insurance plans only kick in to cover major services after the first year a customer purchases a plan
• Low annual maximums

Here’s a sampling of the plans available for a 30-year-old woman living in Dallas, Texas:

Cigna, one of the top medical insurance providers in the United States, serves more than 17 million dental customers. The Connecticut-based firm offers dental plans starting at $19 per month on average, and its nationwide provider network spans 93,000 dentists across 297,000 locations.

Plans have standard waiting periods of six months for basic services and 12 months for major and orthodontic services. Cigna’s top dental insurance policy, Cigna Dental 1500, offers comprehensive dental insurance for individuals as the only plan providing dental insurance for braces and other orthodontia (though a 12-month waiting period applies).

Pros:

• No primary dentist required
• No referrals needed for specialist visits
• Network includes a selection of over 93,000 dentists
• 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 52 customer reviews onConsumersAdvocate.org
• A (excellent) financial strength ratingfrom AM Best

Cons:

• There are 12-month waiting periods for restorative and orthodontia services and may vary by state
• Limited amount of plan options compared to other dental insurance companies

Here are three plans available from Cigna. Prices are based on Cigna’s national average rates for each plan.

How does dental insurance work?

Dental insurance is modeled after standard health insurance, with a few notable differences. Prices for dental insurance plans are much lower — a monthly premium from dental insurance companies typically costs less than $50 and the annual deductible usually ranges between $50 and $100.

Rather than using annual out-of-pocket maximums, dental policies typically place a cap on the coverage you receive for the year. The average maximum for dental insurance plans ranges from $1,000 to $1,500, but the National Association of Dental Plans estimatesthat only 5% of Americans actually exceed their in-network maximum for the year.

Dental insurance plans use a 100-80-50 cost-sharing model, requiring patients to pay a copayment or coinsurance for services the plan doesn’t cover. The best dental insurance plans usually cover the following:

• 100% for preventative care services, such as biannual checkups and cleanings, X-ray scans and diagnostic tests
• 80% for basic procedures, such as fillings, extractions and root canals
• 50% for major procedures, such as crowns, bridges, dentures and implants

Other services that are more cosmetic or elective in nature, such as teeth whitening or orthodontic care, typically aren’t covered by dental insurance plans, leaving an out-of-pocket expense for those who want those services.

There are several types of dental insurance, but here are the most common ones:

• Dental Preferred Provider Organization (DPPO): This type of insurance works with a network of dentists who agree to provide services at a certain cost for the insurance provider. There’s value to having these discounts when using contracted dentists, but with these dental insurance plans you also have an option to choose out-of-network dentists with reduced coverage.
• Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO): A network of dentists are paid a fee each month for the patient’s care. In exchange, they provide services at a reduced cost for the patient. You typically have to stay in network under an HMO.
• Dental Point of Service (DPOS): Patients can see out-of-network providers, but they’ll save money by staying within the insurer’s network.

All of the providers listed below offer DPPO and DHMO plans.

Prices for the best dental insurance vary depending on whether you’re purchasing an individual plan or a family plan, where you live, which dental insurance provider you choose and in some cases, any preexisting conditions that might apply.

For example, based on search results fromeHealth, monthly premiums for dental insurance plans range from $11 to $60 per month for a 27-year-old nonsmoking male in Atlanta, Georgia, with most available dental insurance for individuals priced between $25 and $50. The monthly premium for a 59-year-old male in the same area is more likely to be between $25 and $50 or above. For both individuals, the annual deductible will be on average around $50. The average yearly maximum benefit ranges between $1,000 and $3,000, in line with national averages.

• American Dental Association
• • The Per-Patient Cost of Dental Care: A Look Under the Hood
  • Types of Dental Plans
  • Main Barriers to Getting Needed Dental Care All Relate to Affordability

• National Association of Dental Plans – Dental is Different: Facts About Dental Benefits
• PubMed – The Case for Dental Preferred Provider Organizations
• Statista – Market share of leading health insurance companies in the United States in 2020, by direct premiums written