Dental Insurance Plans Best for You

An important part of health care is taking care of your teeth. However, many people put off going to the dentist because they can’t afford it. This situation is made worse because even if you have a major medical insurance policy, it usually does not cover dental expenses… That’s where dental insurance is stepping in!

A solution for this problem is to buy a dental insurance policy. There are many companies offering such plans and most of them are available to individuals – you don’t have to be part of a ‘group’ (such as a place of employment), like many regular medical insurance plans. Dental insurance works differently than regular medical insurance. It covers 100% for only certain dental expenses, with other types of expenses typically at 80% and 50%. Because of this model, dental insurance premiums and deductibles are much lower than for regular medical insurance.

The following is a common coverage plan: – 100% for preventative care services, such as checkups, cleanings and X-rays – 80% for basic procedures, such as fillings, extractions and root canals – 50% for major procedures, such as crowns, bridges, dentures and implants

A big drawback to many dental plans is an imposed waiting period – meaning you can’t make a claim for sometimes many months after you enter into the plan. Below are listed highly rated dental plans, all of which do not have waiting periods and provide good service and broad coverage.

Ameritas

This company’s dental plans cover orthodontic work and procedures and with no waiting period. Many other dental plans don’t cover orthodontics at all.

Their policies cover:

Preventive care at 100%, with a limit of two exams and cleanings per year.
Basic services at 65% in the first year and then 80% for every subsequent year.
Major services at 20% in the first year and then at 50% after that.
$50 annual deductible and an annual maximum payout of $2,000.

Delta Dental

Delta is one of the largest dental plan providers in the country, with more than 80 million members and maintaining a nationwide network of more than 152,000 dentists. They work on a HMO model and have set patient costs for specific dental procedures, with no deductibles or annual maximum payouts. For example, $20 for cleanings, with exams and X-rays free of charge, while fillings cost $25 to $120, root canals are $240 to $400, and teeth whitening is included with a copay of $125. Orthodontics are also included for a discounted price.

Denali Dental

If you need or want frequent check-ups and cleanings, then Denali is your best bet. They cover 100% of preventive services, including four cleanings per year. Their other coverage:

30% for basic services in the first year, increasing to 60% by the fourth year.
10% for major services in the first year, increasing to 60% by the fourth year.
Lifetime deductible of $100 to $200 and an annual maximum payout of $1,200 in year one, increasing to $2,500 to $6,000 in year four.

Humana

This very large medical insurance company offers dental plans with over 270,000 dentists in their nationwide network. Their Dental Loyalty Plus plan covers:

Preventive services at 100%, including two check-ups and cleanings per year.
Major services like root canals at 20% in the first year, increasing to 50% by year three.

MetLife

MetLife provides very beneficial dental plans for armed service veterans and their families, known as the Veterans Affairs Dental Insurance Program (VADIP). It is available to any veteran enrolled in the VA health care program. They have one of the largest provider networks of any company at 490,000 locations nationwide. Their plan covers:

Preventive care services at 100%.
Basic Services at 70%.
Major services at 50%.
Annual Deductible of $50 and an annual maximum payout of $3,500.

Spirit Dental

Spirit offers one of the highest coverage amounts for major dental work, with no waiting period. While you have an option to use your own dentist (out-of-network), using an in-network dentist will give you the highest coverage amounts. Their dental plan coverages:

Major services, the policy will cover only 10% to 25% of the cost of these procedures in the first year, but will increase to 65% in the third year of coverage.
Lifetime deductible of $100 and an annual maximum payout of $5,000.

UnitedHealthcare

United offers dental plans for some of the lowest prices in the country, with no waiting period for both preventive and basic care and orthodontic coverage after a one year waiting period. Their dental plan coverage:

Preventive services at 100%
Basic services at 50% in the first year, then 65% the next year, increasing to 80% in the third year.