Is Dental Insurance Worth The Expense? (2024)

Dental insurance comes in handy when you need dental treatment, which can be expensive to pay for yourself.

But whether dental insurance is worth it depends on how much it costs and what you get from the coverage. You also have to think about why you want dental coverage. Do you want something that just pays for prevention measures or would you prefer more comprehensive coverage?

What Dental Insurance Costs Do You Pay?

Dental insurance picks up the tab on many covered services and treatments, up to a certain percentage, based on your plan. But make no mistake: You will be responsible for paying some or most of the expenses for most dental care.

Here are the types of costs with dental insurance plans:

• Premiums: Premiums are what you pay for dental benefits.
• Copays: Copayments are the fixed dollar amount you pay for a service covered under your dental plan, such as a dentist visit.
• Deductibles: A deductible is the dollar amount you pay for covered services for the year before insurance benefits kick in. Many dental plans cover preventive procedures with no deductible required.
• Coinsurance: Coinsurance is the portion of the expenses you pay for dental services after your insurance plan has paid its share and you’ve met your deductible.
• Annual maximums: Your annual coverage maximum is the most your dental insurer will pay for the cost of covered dental care within a benefit plan year. Each time a dental claim is submitted, your insurer deducts the amount they pay for the treatment from your annual coverage maximum. After reaching this maximum, you’re responsible for 100% of the expense of additional dental treatments within that plan year. Once your next plan year starts, your annual coverage maximum resets.

Some plans add a portion of any unused benefits from the prior year to the annual maximum of the following year, helping to build a cushion for unexpected emergencies like crowns, root canals and surgeries.

How Much Does Dental Insurance Cost?

The average cost of dental insurance is $47 a month for a stand-alone dental plan. The average cost of a dental plan for only preventive care is $26 a month, but these plans will not include coverage for fillings, extractions or major work such as root canals.

Premiums are only part of the cost equation. Depending on your plan, you may also be responsible for copays, coinsurance, deductibles and treatment that exceeds annual coverage maximums. A cheap dental insurance plan could leave you paying a lot out of pocket if you visit the dentist.

Related: How Much Does Dental Insurance Cost?

What’s Typically Covered by Dental Insurance?

Most dental insurance plans commonly cover three areas of care: preventive, basic and major. Michael Bass, client advisor for World Insurance Associates, says many dental insurance policies typically provide:

• Preventive services (such as exams, cleanings, x-rays and fluoride treatment for younger patients) at 100% coverage
• Basic services at 80% to 100% coverage (such as fillings, non-surgical extractions and root canals)
• Major restorative services at 50% to 80% coverage (such as crowns, bridges, inlays/onlays and dentures)

What’s Typically Not Covered by Dental Insurance?

Many dental plans reject coverage for certain treatments, including:

• Teeth whitening
• Cosmetic dentistry
• Orthodontics (braces), which may be covered but typically has a lifetime maximum benefit

If your dental insurance plan includes coverage for one or more of these services, it may be at a smaller percentage, which means you pick up more of the costs.

Pros and Cons of Dental Insurance

Dental insurance can provide numerous benefits, including paying for preventive care.

“Insurance usually covers preventive care in full,” says Albert Abena, assistant dean for Community Partnerships of the College of Dental Medicine at the University of New England. “Keep in mind that getting regular preventive care can safeguard your oral health from future issues and provide advance knowledge of possible problems that your dentist can address proactively instead of reactively.”

Bill Green, owner of Green Insurance Agency in Orange Park, Florida, says dental insurance can lead to lower costs when you need care.

“Even if you just get two cleanings a year, it should pay for itself,” says Green.

But dental policies have their drawbacks, too. Daniel Cho, a dentist in Portland, Oregon, says plans have special rules, such as age limitations for fluoride treatment or missing tooth clauses.

“Insurance typically does not cover 3-D X-rays, moderate or deeper levels of sedation, sleep dentistry and cosmetic work. And your plan may only cover a small portion of the total cost for advanced surgical procedures,” Cho says.

Here are pros and cons of dental insurance:

Pros

• Plans often include coverage for preventive services at 100%, providing an incentive to get regular checkups and cleanings, which serve as an investment in better oral health.
• You may offset premiums with money saved when you need dental care, particularly for expensive treatments like fillings, root canals and extractions.
• You will likely pay little for coverage if your employer offers a group dental plan.

Cons

• Plans can have coverage exclusions and stipulations.
• Policies may not cover certain treatments, including cosmetic and orthodontic services and may only cover a small portion of the total cost of advanced surgical procedures such as implants.
• Your plan may only cover treatment provided by an in-network dentist, limiting your ability to see any provider you want.

How Should You Choose Dental Insurance?

You may benefit from a dental insurance plan if you regularly see a dentist and can get a low-premium plan or if you need to see a dentist and find a plan with no waiting period and high annual benefits.

Be sure to look closely at the plan’s network of participating providers, different kinds of dental plans available within your area, and what’s covered in each plan, advises Joseph Dill, chief dental officer for Delta Dental Plans Association.

Green recommends a dental plan “that has the highest annual coverage limits as well as one that has the highest coinsurance for basic and major services.”

Other Ways to Pay for Dental Care

An estimated 76.5 million Americans lack dental insurance coverage, according to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a non-profit that advocates for accessible oral health care. If you need dental care but don’t want to acquire a dental insurance plan, you can pay the amount in full from your savings or pursue these options:

• Work out a payment plan with the dental practice. They may allow you to pay in installments or provide in-house or external financing options for particular services. “Be sure to review all of the potential fees and interest charges, as some can be a bit onerous,” adds Dill.
• Pay for dental services using one or more credit cards—preferably a card with a low introductory rate that will allow you to pay down the balance quickly and avoid excessive interest charges.
• Pursue other financing, including a personal loan, home equity loan or an equity line of credit.

More: Best Dental Insurance For Seniors

Is Dental Insurance Worth It?

Dental coverage makes dental care more affordable by providing cost savings on dental treatment and helping you avoid future dental health issues.

“Routine brushing and flossing at home are a great place to start. But care from dental professionals is critical to achieving and maintaining a healthy smile,” says Dill.

Green says a dental plan can be worth it if you get regular care, including checkups and cleanings, but considers a dental plan’s return on investment. In other words, ensure that you will save enough money to offset the plan’s premiums.

Is Dental Insurance Worth It FAQ