It is said that a beautiful smile is often revering and doesn’t require a price tag. However, should you ever find yourself inside a dentist’s office, then you’ll definitely realize that a smile, like everything else, can be quite costly. The safest bet to bank on your pearly whites would be to invest in Dental Insurance.
However, even those can leave a dent on your bank account should you make the wrong choice. Some dental insurance companies cost more than your annual preventative dental care costs. So how will you know which one is the right one for you? Well, here are a number of factors to consider before picking out a dental insurance provider.
Factors to consider before deciding on a Dental Insurance Provider:
A. Coverage
The real value for your money would be to ensure that even the major surgeries are catered for by your insurance. These will include:
1. Class I – Includes x-rays, exams, regular teeth cleaning
2. Class II – Coverage includes teeth fillings, extractions, and other primary care routines
3. Class III – Caters for crowns, bridges, implants and other major surgeries
4. Class IV – Mostly deals with orthodontia cases
B. Cost
You mustn’t strain yourself by going for an insurance plan above your annual quota for dental care. Each insurance company’s Premiums are tied down to their coverage.
C. Benefits
If you’re the type to shop only during a sale, discounts, and other price drops, then you should definitely pick up a flyer on this. However, not all dental insurance companies have this. Some even have an extended waiting period for your premium to mature.
D. Options
Keep your options open as different companies have varying insurance plans. Find the one that best works for both your employer and your needs at minimal costs.
E. Network
Dentists are like surgeons. There aren’t as many of them, and each practitioner won’t be tied down to a single facility. Pick an insurance company that serves a broader reach of practitioners covering a greater geographical region. That way, you won’t have to worry about canceled dental appointments even when you travel.
That said, check out these top picks for the best dental insurance companies currently on the market.
1. Metlife Dental
Established in 1868, Metlife Dental is one of the oldest and trusted dental insurance options with over 190K locations. Based in New York, the company’s reach is phenomenal with a myriad of plans to choose from. It’s coverage plans include PPO, Dental HMO, and MetLife TakeAlong Dental plan that still covers you even when you change employers.
It is also very fluid and offers special plans for veterans who served in the US military as well as the Federal program for federal employees. Costs are low, and the benefits are high. The best part about it is the ease of scheduling an appointment from your smartphone through their app on both Android and iOS
2. Aetna Dental
You won’t have to worry about the network reach with Aetna. It’s majorly a global health insurance company founded back in 1853 and based in Hartford, Connecticut. The dental insurance is simply an add-on to your health plan.
However, stand-alone dental coverage is only present in select areas such as Illinois, Delaware, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. Nonetheless, it’s got different dental insurance plans for individuals as well as employers and entire organizations. It’s a definite choice worth checking out, especially if you have a big family.
3. Delta Dental Insurance
Speaking of family, Delta Dental Insurance is probably the best one of this list for families on a budget. It has a network of over 150K practitioners covering over 330K known cities and locations. So what’s so unique about its coverage, you ask?
Well, Delta comes with two plans; DeltaCare USA and Delta Dental PPO. The former is a prepaid plan that has no annual deductible maximums and covers well over 250 procedures. It’s the best deal especially if you have pre-existing conditions such as missing teeth. For the latter, clients get reduced fees for covered services based on the dentist’s fee. It is, however, subject to deductibles and other annual charges.
4. Humana Dental
If you’ve got a keen eye for discounts, then Humana is definitely the choice for you. You can save from anywhere between 20-60% on enrollment for dental services. They can even waiver off $35 should you choose their combined dental and vision plan. There are no co-pays, and low annual deductibles served up with the Plus plans.
Other coverage plans include Dental Loyalty Plus, Dental Value, Dental Preventive Plus, Dental Savings Plus, and Complete Dental. By the looks of the names, you can already tell that you’re going to get a bang for your buck. Depending on which plan you get, you may be subject to no waiting periods, no deductibles, full coverage, and the ability to choose both network and non-network practitioners.
5. Guardian Anytime
Everyone deserves a guardian at least that’s what their company’s motto says. Guardian covers a massive umbrella for life and disability insurance, as well as other general health specifications. Their dental care networth boasts of more than 120K practitioners stationed at over 420K locations nationwide.
Their coverage plans include Group Dental PPO Insurance as well as Maximum Rollover. The latter will make sure that your unused dental funds are rolled over to your next quota, thus helping you save on bills. Pretty neat, huh?
6. United Healthcare Dental
There are currently six dental plans to choose from, should you settle on United Healthcare dental insurance. Each has their own separate benefits, stand-alone features, and savings on your deductibles. They include Dental Primary, Dental Primary Preferred, Dental Essential, Dental Premier Choice, and Dental Premier Elite.
While the benefits accrue get better with each plan, the annual premium costs also rise as you migrate from one program to the other. Major services are only covered from the Dental Essential Preferred plan. Nonetheless, it is a cheaper option serving up the best family plans for individuals as well as the employer.
7. Tricare Dental
Supposing you have pledged your life in servitude to the nation’s best interests, then Tricare Dental is the best plan for you. It serves both uniformed active members as well the retirees plus their families no matter their location around the world.
It’s plans cater for Active duty service and family members with dental benefits included in the Tricare dental program. It also serves the survivors’ dental needs in their FEDVIP voluntary enrollee pay plan. However, it doesn’t cover adult children as they will have to get their own separate private policies.
8. Cigna Dental
Cigna’s Dental Insurance plan is excellent for individuals and families. They also boast of free services for in-network preventive services. That, however, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cover employers. You can get your teeth checked out for free if you’re an existing client in its DPPO, DHMO, DEPO, Cigna Traditional or CignaPlus Savings program.
Each comes with cost-effective benefits that let you maximize on their discount options. Their indemnity-style plan also lets you set a coinsurance amount that allows you to plan and agree on your monthly deductibles. After this, the freedom to choose any licensed specialist rests on your shoulders. It’s definitely an excellent option for organizations planning on taking care of their employees and vice versa.
9. Aflac Dental Insurance
Lastly, is a company known for its eligible claims? Aflac was founded in 1955 and has since then grown to offer insurance to over 50 million people worldwide. The company’s intuitive web-based platform is easy to use and comes with three plans for individual needs.
The Basic plan starts at $285 while the standard rises to $400 and the Premier plan all the way up to $450. Each comes with payable benefits. Most reviews point out the ease of application and service, as well as minimal costs on full dental coverage plans.
Conclusion
Dental appointments are not as frequent as other hospital visits. Therefore, getting an individual plan may not be the best way to go about dental care. The best way would be to check with your employer first before going all out on a dental insurance plan. Hopefully, the companies listed above will smoothen your transition. Remember, your dental health will determine your overall body health.