Top Dental Insurance Plans That Offer Comprehensive Coverage at a Reasonable Cost

A dental plan, which is also known as dental insurance, is a distinct type of health insurance that covers the costs of dental care and treatment. It can be purchased as a supplementary policy to your existing health insurance, or as a standalone insurance policy.

Terminologies Used in Dental Insurance

Familiarizing yourself with key terms is important when buying dental insurance, whether as an add-on to your health insurance or as a standalone policy. Some of the essential terms to know include premium, deductible, dual coverage, maximum, coinsurance, copayment, and exclusion.

Premium

The premium in dental insurance refers to the regular amount of money you need to pay, either monthly or annually, to maintain your insurance coverage. Your policy’s activation or cancellation is determined by whether or not you make the required premium payments.

Deductible

Dual coverage involves utilizing two different insurance plans or an indemnity plan in conjunction with your dental insurance. The objective of combining these plans is to receive comprehensive coverage for your dental care. Despite how these plans work together to reduce your expenses, the coverage provided will not exceed 100%.

Maximum 

The maximum amount an insurance provider will pay for dental care expenses incurred over a specific period is known as the coverage limit. Once this limit is reached, the dental insurance provider will not cover any further expenses until the policy is renewed.

Coinsurance

Coinsurance refers to the percentage of the total cost of your dental care that you are responsible for paying after your deductible has been met. For example, if your dental care costs $100 and your insurance policy has a coinsurance rate of 20%, you will pay $20 (20% of $100) after meeting your deductible, while your insurance provider will cover the remaining $80 (80% of $100) of the cost. However, if you have not paid your deductible, you will be responsible for the entire cost of $100.

Copayment

A copayment is a predetermined amount of money that you must pay for covered dental care expenses at the time of service. Copayment is similar to coinsurance, but it is a fixed amount of money, whereas coinsurance is a fixed percentage of the total cost.

Exclusion

Similar to other forms of insurance, dental insurance does not cover all dental services. Prior to purchasing a dental insurance coverage plan, it is essential to review your insurance policy to identify any exclusions.

Types of Dental Insurance Coverage

There are various kinds of dental insurance, including non-insurance options like discount dental plans. The primary types of dental insurance plans are:

• Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO) 
• Dental Preferred Provider Organizations (DPPO) 
• Dental Discount Plan 
• Dental Indemnity Plans

Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO)

Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMOs) are a type of dental insurance that caters to the insured’s dental health needs with limitations to in-network care providers. DHMO plans do not typically require the insured to pay a deductible, but they will be expected to pay copayments for most dental services.

Dental Preferred Provider Organizations (DPPO)

A dental preferred provider organization (DPPO) plan offers flexibility to the insured as they are not restricted to a particular care provider like a dental HMO. They have the freedom to choose their preferred dental care provider. However, if they choose an out-of-network care provider, it usually comes with a higher premium and coinsurance cost.

Dental Discount Plan

The dental discount plan is a non-insurance option that provides discounts on various dental services, including some that are typically not covered by traditional dental insurance, such as cosmetic dentistry. Unlike insurance plans, dental discount plans don’t charge a premium; instead, members pay an annual membership fee to access discounted dental services from participating providers.

Dental Indemnity Plans

A dental indemnity plan functions similar to property insurance such as auto insurance and home insurance. The insurance provider reimburses a specified amount for the dental care expenses incurred by the insured. Under this plan, the insured pays their dentist for the out-of-pocket expenses for the dental care received. After payment, the insured files a claim, and the indemnity insurance provider reimburses a certain percentage of the total expense as per the insurance policy.

Factors to consider when purchasing a dental insurance

The most common risk factor people usually consider when buying a dental insurance policy is the price. It is extremely risky because you may regret it after you purchase the insurance coverage. The regret you may encounter will be inappropriate coverage for an enormous out-of-pocket amount of your expenses. In order to be a beneficiary of the best dental insurance, you will have to consider the coverage exclusion because dental insurance does not offer coverage for all dental services, such as root canals and cosmetic options. They may also exclude the coverage you seek; hence, it will be best if you cross-check the insurance policy before purchasing a plan. You will also need to consider the coverage limit of the dental insurance plan to avoid purchasing a dental insurance plan with a low coverage limit that will threaten your financial stability. It is risk-free to purchase a dental insurance plan with a higher coverage limit or maximum.

Top dental insurance companies

Based on the aforementioned factors to consider when purchasing dental insurance, some of the best dental insurance providers with suitable coverage limits and affordable prices include: 

• Delta Dental 
• Humana 
• Cigna 
• UnitedHealthcare 
• MetLife Dental