Best Dental Insurance Companies for 2024

Just as with other types of insurance, there is no shortage of dental plans available for both groups and individuals. Making it even more confusing, while some health plans include dental coverage, others don’t, and consumers then need to look at stand-alone dental plans.

This can be an important distinction for some who want specific features that their health plan might not include. Then it’s down to the details of the company — what you want to be covered, how much of a premium you want to pay and seeing which local dentists accept it.

It’s important to review and compare all your options. We have taken the time to meticulously review the major dental insurance providers as well as some popular alternatives that have entered the market more recently.

8 Best Dental Insurance Companies

Here are the top 8 companies that offer the best dental insurance:

 

Guardian Direct Dental

Guardian Direct Dental is just one of the many insurance offerings from Guardian Life Insurance of America. Guardian Direct makes it easy to enroll in their plan directly on their website, without talking to a broker or third-party.

While this is convenient, there is no way to actually receive a quote until you enter your zip code and see if there is a provider near you. Plan options vary by state and Guardian Direct dental insurance is not available nationwide yet.

In order to enroll, all you need to enter is your address, phone number, gender, birthday and email address along with who else needs coverage if its a family plan and a valid form of payment.

Online enrollment is always a more convenient option, and Guardian Direct offers other helpful resources such as a quick online quiz to help you choose a dental plan.

GUARDIAN DIRECT DENTAL PLANS

If Guardian Direct is available in your state there are a variety of options to choose from. While they cover everything from basic services to oral surgery, the base coverage uses a three-tier PPO approach.

• Bronze Plan: Bronze covers basic cleanings and is the most basic plan.
• Silver Plan: Silver is recommended for those who plan to have more extensive care beyond the occasional filling.
• Gold Plan: The Gold plan offers maximum coverage if you frequent the dentist office often or just want to have full coverage.

If a PPO isn’t available in your state you may be able to receive Guardian Direct through a healthcare exchange.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: AA+
• Moody’s Financial Rating: Aa2
• M. Best Financial Rating: A++

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+

Compare Plan Rates

 

UnitedHealthcare Dental: Golden Rule Insurance

UnitedHealthcare provides dental insurance via Golden Rule Insurance Company. You can get dental insurance quotes and enroll online in a way that is user-friendly. You can receive an immediate quote after providing your zip code, gender, DOB and whether you’re a tobacco user.

If UnitedHealthcare does not provide service in your area, it will direct you to a third-party website that can find providers in your area. This is a helpful feature that goes above and beyond simply saying it cannot be your provider.

Once you receive a quote, you are presented with different plans that allow you to compare and contrast which option is best for you. Providing more personal information like Social Security, your full name and address, and a final payment method can allow you to enroll online. You can also enroll over the phone.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE DENTAL PLANS

UnitedHealthcare provides coverage across different ages at different premiums and deductible levels. Its age-based approach is unique and allows consumers to choose plans based on their needs that correlate closely with age.

For example, it has plans for children that cover orthodontia like braces, and some that cover dentures that would be appealing to older generations. There is no need to submit claim forms if you use one of its in-network dentists.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: A+
• M. Best Financial Rating: A

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+

Compare Plan Rates

 

Delta Dental

Delta Dental is unique because it refers patients to a national network of 39 independent Delta Dental companies that provide dental insurance.

If you are looking for a quote or going through the application and enrollment process, it is going to depend on your location. You can receive a general quote by providing your zip code or call a representative directly over the phone. By sharing information on your location, age, who you want covered and if you are seeking value or options or a combination of both, you will receive multiple options for plans in your area.

You can enroll in any of the plans online, but be prepared to share a majority of your information, like address, Social Security and DOB at this time. If you are enrolling for a family, you will have to provide their details, like age, as well.

After choosing a payment option, you’re basically officially enrolled. Though the basic personal information needed can be tedious to fill out, it is a relatively easy and straightforward process to enroll in any one of their insurance plans.

DELTA DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS

The website will direct you to what plans are available in your area so you are not overwhelmed by every option. It is easy to select some of the specifics for what you’re looking for in a plan.

Delta Dental is one of the most popular dental providers in the U.S. because of its large network of dentists and available options for coverage and price point.

They cater to individuals, families, small businesses and retirees with plans that include the majority of dental care needs from cleaning to fillings and braces.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: N/A
• Moody’s Financial Rating: N/A
• M. Best Financial Rating: A (for their California branch)

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: Vary by branch, some have an A+ accreditation some have F

 

Multiflex Dental

Multiflex is Nationwide’s dental insurance offering and boasts having affordable coverage for all ages. Receiving a quote is easy – just provide your zip code and date of birth along with when you’d like the plan to be activated.

This unique plan also allows you to combine dental with vision insurance if you need it. They have a solid three plans for individuals and families with upgrades versions also available. Though there are not as many options for diverse price points, they are plans that cover needs at a competitive cost.

Enrolling in their plan is made easy online or by calling them directly with any questions. Like the usual for insurance, you will need to provide personal details like DOB, Social Security, address and payment method in order to fully enroll. The unique plans are clearly laid out on the company website so it’s easy to see what each offers and find a quote to fit your needs.

MULTIFLEX DENTAL PLANS

Multiflex offers the usual dental plans that cover routine dental care as well as major dental services, though braces and services that can be considered cosmetic don’t appear to be covered.

MetLife offers a unique Advantage Plus dental plan that exclusively covers diagnostic and preventative services. If you are asking yourself if dental insurance is necessary for you, this can be a great alternative to still receiving preventative care if you worry about having any major oral complications in the future.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: A+
• Moody’s Financial Rating: A1
• M. Best Financial Rating: A+

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+
• Trustpilot Score: 5.4

 

Spirit Dental & Vision

Spirit Dental & Vision offers dental insurance through Ameritas, another provider that made our list, though their enrollment process is much more straightforward.

Getting a quote is easy, all you need to do is enter your zip code and how many you are looking for coverage for and you can receive a quote. Other companies require slightly more information to receive a quote, so Spirit Dental is easier with only the basics needed for a quote. Because they only deal with individual, senior and family plans, it is easy to navigate to what you need.

Just as you can receive your quote online, you can also enroll online and most benefits can be available to you within three days. You need to provide more information to be enrolled including your full name, phone number, email, DOB, gender, and marital status.

Beyond that information, it’s likely that you’ll also need to put in your Social Security and address, as well. Spirit Dental offers guaranteed acceptance and a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee for all plans. Vision can be added for an additional small fee if that is something you are considering as well.

SPIRIT DENTAL PLANS

Spirit offers a few distinct choices that can affect your coverage.

Spirit offers its network and their choice plans, which network comes with more savings while choice allows visitations to any dentist.

Both plans cover preventive coverage, implants, and major services and even includes three cleanings per year.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: A+
• M. Best Financial Rating: A

REPUTATION*

• BBB Rating: A+

*Ratings from Ameritas because Spirit Dental is provided through Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.

 

Ameritas

Ameritas is another mature player in the insurance provider world, and though they have a smaller market share of 0.09% compared to their competitors, their financials are strong.

The downside is that the Ameritas website is not user-friendly. Because it works with a network of providers and offers a multitude of plans, there is no easy way to receive a quote through its website. It is best to contact its claims representatives with any questions you have about its coverage plans and possible quotes.

If you do choose to apply to one of its programs, the enrollment form can be downloaded from its website and sent back electronically or through the mail. Compared to other providers that have made the online enrollment process easy, this seems like a lot of extra work on the part of the shopper.

AMERITAS DENTAL PLANS

Even though the process to enroll is not the most user-friendly, the wide variety of unique coverage plans could attract you to Ameritas dental insurance.

As well as being available for individuals and families, Ameritas also recommends plans based on how often you visit the dentist.

This is a great option for individuals or families who feel like they know their dental needs year to year.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: A+
• M. Best Financial Rating: A

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+

 

MetLife

MetLife offers dental insurance exclusively to groups. On its website, we couldn’t find information on how individuals might be able to enroll but were encouraged to instead ask our employer.

This takes the application process out of the individual’s hands and sends it back to the employer, which can be either a relief or aggravating, depending on what you’re looking for.

There is no way for an individual to receive a quote from MetLife regarding dental insurance because it works with employers. If your employer offers MetLife, you should be able to receive a quote from them.

Even if you are an employer or HR professional, there is no way to receive a quote directly through the MetLife site as it asks you to contact your broker if you are interested in its services.

This can be discouraging if you like to shop around and receive quotes online, but they are geared to group plans so talking with your employer is the best way to progress if you’re interested in their dental coverage.

METLIFE DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS

MetLife offers PPO, HMO, and programs to cover part-time employees on an individual basis.

They advertise balancing costs with employee and employer needs and have a wide network of dentists available through their PPO plan.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: AA-
• Moody’s Financial Rating: Aa3
• M. Best Financial Rating: A+

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+
• Trustpilot Score: 2.4

 

Humana

Like many of our other recommended providers, Humana offers an easy online tool to help consumers receive a quote for dental insurance quickly and easily.

All you need to provide is your zip code, gender and DOB to be shown comparable plans for your area. Humana also allows you to specify if you need to add a dependent or have a veteran in your immediate family.

The options for your area are clearly lined up compare which would be best for your needs or your budget. Most of their plans are PPO, but they do offer dental savings plans if that interests you.

If you find a plan that suits your needs, you can continue to enroll online by providing your personal information, including your full name, email, phone number, address, and Social Security number.

Once your personal information is verified, you will be asked for a payment method. Humana makes it easy to download and print your plan details along the way so you can keep a hard copy of your plan for reference. You can also enroll by phone if you prefer.

HUMANA DENTAL PLANS

Humana offers dental insurance plans for individuals and families.

It offers PPO plans as well as a dental savings plan, neither of which have waiting periods.

It has plans that cover everything from dental cleanings and x-rays to dentures and orthodontics.

FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating: BBB+
• Moody’s Financial Rating: Baa3
• M. Best Financial Rating: bbb-

REPUTATION

• BBB Rating: A+

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Top Dental Insurance Companies

Each company that made our list offers competitive dental insurance policies.

Choosing the right provider will depend on your specific needs, of course, but we based our ratings on some of the basic characteristics of each provider, including financial stability, reputation, and coverage policies.

• Financial Stability: Checking the company’s financial stability can show you whether the provider is in the position to pay claims to begin with. You want to make sure that a provider is able to cover you in case of an expensive dental procedure. We received our financial stability ratings from leading agencies such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and AM Best, among others.
• Reputation: Customer service is telling if a provider is actually someone you want to work with. Insurance can be notoriously complicated and drawn-out, so making sure complaints and claims are filed and paid in a timely fashion is essential. We referenced the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot for official customer ratings. Additionally, we cited complaints tracked by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
• Coverage Options and Policies: Typically found and explained on the provider’s website. Make sure you compare all options to find reputable coverage with the right price point for you.

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