Best Dental Insurance Companies Of 2024 (2024)

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On Dental Insurance Guide's Website

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On Dental Insurance Guide's Website

Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Platinum is our top pick because of its ample benefits. The Platinum plan also pays a higher percentage of dental costs compared to many competitors. We also rate Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Gold and Silver plans highly if you’re looking for an option with lower premiums, though they provide lower coverage than the Platinum plan.

• High annual maximum payout of $2,000 per person.
• Preventive care covered at 100% without a waiting period.
• Basic care covered at 80%.
• Major care (such as oral surgery and crowns) covered at 50%.
• Implants and dentures covered at 50% after a six-month waiting period.
• Includes orthodontia (braces) coverage for children through age 18 at 50% and a $150 lifetime deductible for orthodontics ($1,000 lifetime maximum benefit).

• Basic care waiting period of 3 months.
• Major care waiting period of 6 months.
• Doesn’t cover teeth whitening.

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On Dental Insurance Guide's Website

We like Guardian’s Diamond dental plan because of its price and that it covers dental work that some competitors don’t provide. You don’t pay a deductible if you stay within your plan’s provider network. Our analysis also found that Guardian has other excellent coverage options, including the Achiever plan, which costs less than a Diamond plan but also doesn’t provide as much coverage.

• $1,500 annual maximum payout for services (with some exceptions).
• Preventive care covered at 100% without a waiting period.
• 80% coverage for basic care (such as fillings) without a waiting period.
• Implants, dentures and orthodontics covered at 50%, but you have to wait 12 months.
• Covers teeth whitening at 50% (after 6 months).

More: Guardian Dental Insurance Review

• Major care has a 12-month waiting period. You may be able to find a dental plan with a shorter wait.
• Annual maximum of only $500 for orthodontia and a lifetime max of only $1,000.

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On Dental Insurance Guide's Website

PrimeStar Complete has a wide range of benefits and no waiting periods, which we think makes it stand out among competitors.

• Annual maximum coverage is $2,500 per person in the first year and that increases to $3,000 after the first year.
• 100% in-network coverage right away for preventive care such as cleanings and bitewing X-rays.
• No waiting period for basic care such as fillings and simple extractions.
• No waiting period for major care such as crowns and root canals.
• No waiting period for implants or dentures.

• In-network coverage for major care is covered at only 20% in the first year. In year 2, major care is covered at 50%.
• In-network coverage for implants and dentures is covered at only 20% in the first year. It becomes 50% in the second year.

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On Dental Insurance Guide's Website

The Cigna Dental Preventive plan has low premiums and no deductibles or coverage maximums, which we view as a great combination for preventive plan. Preventive care plans are significantly cheaper than comprehensive plans but you also don’t get coverage for most dental care.

• Covers preventive care at 100% with no waiting period.
• Offers the same reimbursem*nt for both in-network and out-of-network providers.

More: Cigna Dental Insurance Review

• Doesn’t cover basic or major care.
• Doesn’t cover dental implants or dentures.

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On Healthcare.com's Website

Our analysis found that Humana Preventive Value is a good low-cost plan for buyers who put a priority on preventive and basic care, and who are OK with not having insurance for major dental problems. Preventive plans often don’t go beyond cleanings and checkups but Humana’s plan includes basic dental care like fillings and simple extractions, which we think is a great added bonus for a preventive plan.

• Unlimited annual insurance payout for covered services.
• Lifetime deductible that you only pay once.
• In-network preventive care is covered at 100% after reaching your deductible. The plan pays only 80% for out-of-network preventive care.
• In-network basic care is covered at 50% after reaching your deductible. Pays 30% for out-of-network basic care.

More: Humana Dental Insurance Review

• This is a preventive care plan with no coverage for root canals, oral surgery, dentures, implants, orthodontia or other major services.

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On Spirit Dental's Website

Spirit Dental’s Core PPO plan is a good value considering there are no waiting periods for coverage and up to three dental cleanings per year. Though we like the plan, the plan’s benefit levels start low and increase over time, so you don’t get full benefits until you’ve had the plan for two years.

• $100 lifetime deductible is attractive if you intend to stick with the plan over multiple years.
• $1,200 annual maximum insurance payout.
• 100% coverage for preventive care after you reach the deductible.
• No waiting period for basic care or major care.
• Orthodontics for children is included, up to a $1,200 lifetime maximum. But you get only 10% coverage for braces in the first year of the plan.

• Basic care is only reimbursed at 50% in the first year before increasing to 65% and 80% over the next two years; some competitors start at 80%.
• Major care is only covered at 25% in the first year before increasing to 50%.

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On UnitedHealthcare's Website

UnitedHealthcare’s DentalWise 2000 covers dental implants at 50% after you reach your deductible, which we found is better than many competitors.

• $2,000 annual maximum is better than many competitors.
• No waiting periods for preventive, basic or major care.
• Health insurance is also available through UnitedHealthcare.

• Basic care reimbursem*nt starts at 60% in the first year before increasing to 80% after that.
• Major care reimbursem*nt begins at only 15% and increases to 50% in the second year.
• 12-month waiting period for dental implants.

Weigh the Deductible and Annual Maximum

I’ve found that people don’t generally factor in the deductible and annual maximum coverage when choosing a dental plan. Many dental plans don’t start paying for dental care costs until you reach your deductible. A plan’s annual maximum allowance puts a cap on what a dental policy will pay in a year. I’d suggest weighing those numbers when comparing dental insurance plans as closely as premiums.

In-Network Dentists

If you’re concerned about whether your dentist is considered in network, I would suggest asking your provider which specific dental insurance plans they accept. If your dentist isn’t considered in-network, you will likely pay more when you need dental care, so you may want to switch to an in-network dentist.

Current and Future Dental Needs

Consider your current and future dental needs when comparing dental plans. Preventive services are typically covered and include examinations, X-rays, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment and sealants. Whether and how much a dental plan covers basic and major care varies by plan. Not all plans cover orthodontic coverage, while some include coverage for children.

Coinsurance

Keep an eye on the coinsurance when deciding on a dental insurance plan. I’ve seen many dental plans that have graded benefits that increase insurance reimbursem*nt over two or three years. And if you don’t keep the plan for a few years, you won’t reach the best reimbursem*nt levels. I’d suggest choosing a good coinsurance level from the start. You never know when a significant dental problem will occur.