Dental insurance premiums range from around $7 per month to $87 per month, according to our review of quotes across 17 dental insurance companies. Your location, deductible, copays, coinsurance amounts, and annual maximum benefit will all impact your premiu𝔍m. The cost of dental insurance also depends on the company you choose.

Keep reading for more details about the cost of denta🦹l insurance and helpful tips for saving money on your coverage.

Cost of Dental Insurance

Because dental insurance rates vary significantly, it’s a good idea to compare quotes and plan details of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:best dental insurance companies to determine how much coverage you want and can afford. The table below shows the costs we found for 澳洲幸运5♎官方开奖结果体彩网:preferred provider organization (PPO) plans from some of the largest insurers.

These quotes were collected for a 30-year-old female in El Paso County, Texas, and Los Angeles County, California. For each company, we gathered cost information for the lowest-priced PPO plan that covers 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:preventiv✅e, basic, and major den༒tal care. (These are the three major categories for dental insurance coverage; generally, plans pay the highest percentage of costs for preventive care and the lowest for expensive major care, such as bridges and crowns.) 

The table also shows the annual maximum benefit—the limit on how much a plan will pay for coverage—in the first year, and the first-year 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:waiting period for coverage of major procedures.

O𓂃f the companies we received quotes from, the list above includes three insurers with the lowest premiums, four with middle-of-the-road premiums, and three with the highest premiums. 

If you’re looking for a more affordable dental insurance plan, a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:dental HMO, also known as a DHMO, can be a good option. Compared to PPO plans, DHMO plans typically have much lower premiums. Most DHMO plans don’t have an annual maximum, deductible, or waiting p🦄eriods for covered services. The downside is that you must go to a provider within the insurer’s network; unlike PPO plans, there is no cov𝐆erage for out-of-network providers.

Dental HMO plans have a copay, a flat fee for certain types of dental work. This differs from PPO plans, which have 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:coinsurance—the percentage of a covered dental service you pay out-of-pocket 🧔after hitting your deductible.&n🎃bsp;

These DHMO quotes were collected for a 30-year-old female in El Paso County, Texas, and Los Angeles County, California. The only exception is Anthem BCBS’s DHMO plan, which is only available in California. We collected rate information for each insurer for the lowest-cost DHMO plan that covꦿers preventive, basic,𒅌 and major dental care.

If you think a DHMO plan might be right for you, begin shopping by looking at our lists of the best dental insura🧜nce companies with no waiting p🦄eriods or with no annual maximum coverage limits.

Factors Influencing Cost

Much like 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:health insurance premꦰiums, dental insurance premiums are impacted by multiple factors. Here are some of the criteria that can affect your dental insurance rate.

Type of Dental Policy 

Plan type is one of the biggest factors that impact prices. In general, dental PPO plans are more expensive than dental HMO plans. Some of the most common dental plans iꦑnclude:

• Dental preferred provider organization (DPPO): This plan provides the most coverage for in-network care and partial coverage for out-of-network care. These plans typically have a deductible, coinsurance, and no referral requirements.
• Dental health maintenance organization (DMHO): One of the biggest benefits of a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:DHMO plan vs. a PPO plan is that premiums are usually low. In addition, HMOs typically don’t feature annual maximums, deductibles, or waiting periods. However, you must work with a primary care dentist, get a referral to see specialists, and generally pay a copay with each visit. 
• Dental indemnity: You can visit any provider you wish, and dentists are reimbursed for services provided. 
• Dental savings plan: These plans (also called 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:dental discount plans) are not true insurance. Instead, dentists within the plan offer enrollees a discount on normal pricing. If you only need cleanings, a savings plan might be right for you.

Deductible

A 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:deductible is the amount you must pay out of pocket before your benefits kick in. In our survey of dental insurance companies, deductibles were typically $50 or $100. Some insurers charge $150 or more or charge a higher out-of-network deductible. Dental 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:insurance plans with 🍎higher deduct🦩ibles generally have lower monthly premiums and vice versa. 

Copay

A copay is the dollar amount you pay your dental provider for certain services, like x-rays or an office visit. For example, if your plan has a $20 copay for cle🦋anings, you must pay the $20 fee upfront at the dental office. Then, your insurance company pays the rest. Some companies don’t require copays for preventive or diagnostic services. 

Coinsurance

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Coinsurance is the out-of-pocket money you pay for covered dental services after reaching your deductible, usually expressed as a percentage. If you have a 75% coinsurance share for major services, like oral surgery, you will pay 75% of the t🏅otal cost. Some companies use copays instead of coinsurance.

Annual Maximum

Many dental plans have an annual maximum. That’s the dollar limit your insurance pays for all covered dental services in one year. In general, the higher the annual maximum is, the more expensive the premiumꦇ will be. Some benefits may instead have a lifetime maximum. For instance, many dental plans that cover braces impose a lif♏etime limit on how much they’ll pay.

What Does Dental Insurance Cover?

Dental insurance provides comprehensive 🅘coverage for most dental services, including the foll🍎owing.

Preventive Care 

Many plans cover preventive care at 100%, including cleanings, full-mouth X-rays, sealants, and fluoride treatments. However, most plans cover a limited number of routine services, such as two cleanings per year or one set of X-rays per year.

Basic Services 

Basic dental care includes services beyond routine care, such as f༺illings and simple extractio🥀ns. However, some plans consider X-rays as a basic service instead of a preventive service, which means they’re not covered at 100%.

Major Services 

Major services are typically the most🌳 ex🌊pensive dental procedures, such as: 

• Root canals
• Surgical extractions 
• Dental implants
• Gum disease treatment
• Dentures  
• Crowns 

Most plans have a waiting period before major services are covered. If you need coverage soonerಌ, choose a dental plan with no waiting period.

What Doesn’t Dental Insurance Cover?

While every dental insurance plan is different, most plans don’t provide cover𒀰age for the following services:

• Cosmetic dentistry
• Bonding
• Adult orthodontics
• Teeth whitening

How to Save Money on Dental Insurance

While some dental insurance plans are relatively affordable, plans with more coverage and better benef🔜its can be more expensiv💙e. Here are some ways to potentially get a lower dental insurance premium.

Get Multiple Plan Quotes

Dental insurance premiums depend on many factors, including your chosen insurance company. It’s a good idea to shop around and get quotes from various insurers to find the most affordable plan. Choosing a plan with a higher🅘 deductible or lower annual maximum may offer savings—just ensure you won’t lose money with the plan. (You can do this by comparing the cost of dental procedures without dental insurance to the amount you’d pay for premiums, deductibles, and copays or c✃oinsurance with insurance.)

Choose a Discount Plan 

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Dental savings plans aren’t true insurance plans but give you access to discount🍌ed dental care from participating providers. Instead of a premium, you usually pay a membership fee. This option iꦺs good if you don’t need frequent dental care.

Get Care at a Dental School 

If you live near a dental school, consider having your dental work done there. Denta♎l schools often offer discounted services, which could help you save significant money, depending on the care you need. Students in the dental program usual𓄧ly staff dental school clinics, but a practicing dentist oversees their work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Bottom Line

The cost of dental insurance can vary widely depending on the type of policy, the provider network, the provider network, and the insurance company. Before signing up, make sure you understand both what will be covered by a policy and your possible out-of-pocket fees. You should also make sure your dentist is on the plan network. Don’t r🦹ush and sign up for the lowest premium plan without understanding the possible limitations. An insurance broker representing multiple companies can help you properly compare your options.