Dental Insurance for Seniors: Compare the Best Plans for Retirement

Are you looking for dental insurance for seniors? There are lots of plans available from popular carriers like Delta, Cigna, and Nationwide, each with different premiums, maximums, and benefits coverage.

In this guide, we hope to make the process of finding dental insurance for seniors a little easier. You'll find information on:

• Best dental insurance for seniors on Medicare
• The different types of dental insurance available
• The best providers of dental plans for seniors
• Options for dental and vision insurance

Getting the right dental plan in place will give you more control over your treatment costs so you can afford to keep your oral health in check.

Do I need dental insurance for seniors?

Few of us will escape dental problems in our lives. NIH statistics show that 93% of Americans aged 65 and over have had dental caries in their permanent teeth and 27% have lost all of their teeth. Because of this, dental insurance for seniors can be a valuable investment.

But despite the importance of dental insurance, over half of Americans aged 50-64 worry about how they will afford dental care when they turn 65, according to a 2017 poll, due to a lack of affordable insurance options.

It doesn't help that most Medicare plans exclude dental, even though 93% of people between the ages of 65 and 80 think that dental should be part of Medicare.

The fact is, having a dental plan is one way to help lower and spread the cost of dental work, but with so many different options available, it can be hard to work out which one is right for you.

Thankfully, there are a number of different ways to get dental coverage, whatever your age.

Types of senior dental insurance

Before we dive into the different types of dental insurance for seniors, we should point out that in this article, we will mostly focus on dental insurance plans, as opposed to dental discount/savings plans. We also have a separate article on free dental work. We'll talk briefly about discount plans further down.

Fee-for-service (dental indemnity)

You can visit any dentist you choose with a fee-for-service plan. One drawback is the paperwork; you'll probably have to pay for 100% of your treatment and then file a claim with the insurer. This type of insurance is most commonly available to groups and through employers, so we haven't included any examples here.

DHMO (Dental Health Maintenance Organization)

With a DHMO plan you get discounted rates for certain treatments at a particular network of dentists. You may have to choose one primary care provider.

These restrictions are offset by lower premiums, often with no annual limits, no deductibles, and some preventive care included for free. If you need immediate dental cover, you can often find a plan with no waiting period.

Because the insurer has an agreement directly with the dentist, you'll usually receive the discount right away rather than having to deal with a lengthy claims process.

DPPO (Dental Preferred Provider Organization)

DPPO plans are similar to DHMO but offer access to a wider network of dentists. You can usually visit an out-of-network dentist too, although you may not benefit from such good discounts.

This added flexibility means premiums are usually higher than with a DHMO.

You can read a more detailed explanation of the different types of insurance available in our full article on dental plans in the US.

Best dental insurance for seniors on Medicare

Although many Americans rely on Medicare for their health cover, Part A and Part B benefits don't cover most types of dental care. The only exception is when treatment requires a hospital stay, for example, if you have an accident or need complicated surgery. In this case, the standard Medicare cover may be valid.

But what if you want cover for things like routine checkups, fillings, extractions, and dentures? There two ways that seniors on Medicare can protect themselves against the high cost of dental treatment through dental insurance.

1. Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans

The only way to get Medicare dental coverage for seniors is by purchasing Medicare Advantage through a private insurer. These Part C plans may include additional benefits such as dental, vision, hearing, and prescription drug coverage. The specific benefits, premiums, and co-payments are dependent on the insurance company and can change from one year to the next.

Just like regular dental insurance, Medicare Advantage comes in a variety of forms including those mentioned above. One benefit of this insurance, whatever type you choose, is the annual out-of-pocket limit. This means that if your dental costs exceed a certain amount in any given year, you'll only pay up to the agreed maximum.

However, Medicare Advantage plans often come with strict rules for getting coverage and receiving treatment. There are also location restrictions for each plan.

If you decide to purchase Medicare Advantage, be sure to check that the insurer offers dental cover – not all insurers do.

2. Standalone dental insurance for seniors

If Medicare Advantage is not the best option for your, but you still want insurance for dental care, including dental help for people with disabilities, you can purchase a regular dental insurance plan. Below, we'll have a look at some of the best options available.

Choosing a provider

Our teeth, just like our bones, naturally weaken and soften as we become older. This makes them more susceptible to damage. Gum disease can also be a problem for seniors, and any dental work you had in the past may need repair or replacement.

For all of these reasons, some insurers refuse to cover people past a certain age. Alternatively, they hike their premiums up to protect themselves against the likely increase in dental care needs.

Dental insurance for senior citizens can also come with a myriad of exclusions and restrictions. Things to look out for include:

• Waiting periods: You may not be eligible to claim for certain treatments until a set period of time has elapsed.
• Pre-existing conditions: Treatment for problems that existed before you took out cover may be excluded.
• Missing teeth exclusions: The insurer may not pay to replace any teeth that were missing before you took out cover.
• Dental implants: You'll usually have to pay a higher premium for dental implant insurance.
• Other exclusions: Certain cosmetic dental treatments might be excluded altogether.

Comparing dental insurance plans for seniors

It can be hard to work out which insurance offers the best value, since there are so many factors to consider. When looking at the best dental plan for you or a senior relative, you'll need to balance:

• Premium: The monthly or annual amount you pay regardless of whether you use the insurance.
• Deductible: The amount you must pay towards any treatment each year before your insurer will pay out.
• Co-insurance / co-payment: The percentage or fixed dollar amount that your insurer will pay towards each type of treatment.
• Fixed discounts: Some plans apply fixed discounts which can range from 10% to 100%.
• Complimentary treatments: Certain treatments, like checkups and cleanings, may be included in your plan for free.

If you're likely to need a lot of treatment it could work out cheaper to pay a higher premium for a plan that offers better discounts and annual limits with a smaller deductible. If, however, you have a good oral health record and mainly need preventive care, a more basic plan could work out more cost-effective.

You may just want the peace of mind that if you did need major dental work, you wouldn't have to pay the full cost yourself. If your plan includes two or three checkups and cleanings each year, be sure to take advantage of them! These help your dentist spot any problems early on, before more costly treatment is needed.

It may sound a bit overwhelming to have to choose from the many dental insurance plans for seniors available, and then get enrolled as well. That's why we've developed a user-friendly insurance comparison tool. Just enter your zipcode and DOP and you'll get to compare plans and get free quotes.

It takes just a few seconds to discover the best dental insurance plans for seniors in your area.

Many insurance providers only cover a few states, or only work through insurance agents and brokers. So for now, we have just included a few providers who offer insurance to the majority of states with the option to purchase direct. Exact policy details may vary between states, so this information should be used as a guideline only.

You can read about the best insurance providers based on state by choosing your state from the following dropdown menu:

Most insurers offer the option of adding your spouse or other family members to your plan for a higher premium. There is also the option to purchase a separate family dental plan.

Humana

Humana Extend plans are especially great for seniors because they have high annual and lifetime maximums, plus greater annual and lifetime maximums for restorative procedures like implants. They also offer more coverage for a wider range of treatment options, which is important during a time in one's life when you may require more dental treatment.

Humana has two levels of Extend plans — the 2500 and the 5000. Both are designed to prevent health issues before they arise, but to also be there to provide efficient care if they do.  And they bundle vision with your dental coverage.

They have similar benefits when it comes to basic preventive dental services:

• 2 oral exams per year
• 2 cleanings per year
• 2 fluoride treatments per year
• 1 comprehensive oral exam every 3 years
• 1 perio exam every 3 years
• 1 panoramic x-ray every 5 years

Highlights for the 2500 plan include: 

• $1,000 annual maximum for implants per person
• $100 teeth whitening allowance per year 
• 100% coverage of preventive vision and hearing exams once per year
• $2,500 annual maximum per person in general
• Vision and hearing coverage.

The Humana 5000 plan offers even greater benefits: 

• $2,000 annual maximum for implants per person
• $5,000 annual maximum per person in general

The waiting periods for both these plans can be waived for customers who have prior dental coverage. 

NCD

Seniors love NCD dental plans, specifically NCD 3000 and NCD 5000 because they have high plan maximums and waiting periods that can be waived if you can show proof of prior dental coverage.

Plus, you can even count partial prior coverage towards the waiting period. And, maybe most importantly, these plans provide coverage for dental implants.

Both plans have low deductibles, just $50 for basic and major services, and $150 max per family. And there's no deductible for preventive services.

All preventive services are covered 100% with no waiting period, and basic care, like panoramic x-rays, sealants, amalgams, and extractions are covered 80% with no waiting period.

For major care like crowns, implants, bridges, and other surgery, there is 50% coverage and a 12-month waiting period if you don't have prior coverage.

The annual maximum for both plans is $3,000, but with the NCD 5000 plan, you have the option to buy up to an additional $2,000, giving you plenty of coverage if you need an implant or extensive restorative treatment.

Delta / AARP

Delta dental cover for seniors is available directly through Delta, or through AARP who offer various other benefits to over-50s.

Delta offers an HMO-style plan, two levels of PPO cover, and fee-for-service plan and a discount plan, which we'll discuss more below. With the HMO plan, you must choose a primary care provider. The PPO plans let you visit any dentist, but you'll generally get the best rates with a network-approved provider.

The HMO plan has set co-payments for each type of treatment. There is no cost for preventive care and a wide range of coverage for restorative procedures. This plan has no deductibles and no annual or lifetime maximums.

With the PPO plans, you pay a certain percentage of your treatment cost. For a higher premium you get full dental coverage for diagnostic and preventive care, 80% coverage for periodontal care and restorations, and 50% coverage for a number of other procedures including dental implants and dentures (some with a 1-year waiting period). There is also $1,000 dental accident insurance with the top level of cover.

All of these benefits are limited to a maximum of either $1,000 or $1,500 per year with a deductible of $100 or $50, depending on which plan you choose. The video below explains more:

You never outgrow your smile. Protect it today with the AARP® Dental Insurance Plan, administered by Delta Dental Insurance Company, by visiting www.deltadentalins.com.

You'll need to contact the insurer directly to get a personalized quote.

Spirit

Spirit offers senior dental cover with no age limit and guaranteed acceptance, and you get three free cleanings a year. There is no waiting period for any type of treatment – including dental implants and dentures – but benefits increase over the first three years of the policy.

For example, with one of their policies you'll get 50% discount on basic and 20% discount on major restorative work in year 1, with a maximum benefit of $1,200. But by year 3, these amounts increase to 80%, 50% and $5,000 respectively. This level of cover starts from around $60 per month.

You can add on vision cover for $7 per month, too. Plans come with a $100 deductible – but that applies over the lifetime of the policy rather than per year.

Cigna

There are three levels of dental savings plans for seniors available from Cigna. The most basic is an HMO plan which only covers preventive and diagnostic services. It's available from around $19 per month with no deductible or waiting period.

The higher levels of PPO cover include out-of-network cover and restorative care after a waiting period. Deductibles and annual maximums apply. You can see more details in the table below.

Given that the level of benefits is comparable to plans from many other providers, it seems that Cigna offers some of the most affordable dental insurance for seniors.

Nationwide Multiflex

Nationwide Insurance offers five levels of Multiflex PPO dental plan. The basic preventive plan is similar to Cigna's but costs from around $25 per month.

The other four plans give varying benefits and levels of cover according to the premiums. At the highest level, for around $73 per month you get an 80% discount on preventive and minor restorative services (after 6 months) and 50% discount on major restorative services (after 18 months). A $2,000 maximum and $50 deductible apply per year.

Although this premium is relatively high, the discounts apply to any dentist you choose. This could be useful for people who travel a lot. If this isn't a benefit you need, a lower level of cover would probably be sufficient.

There are also options for combining dental and vision insurance.

Alternatives to insurance

Insurance, whether through Medicare Advantage or a standalone dental insurance plan aren't the only options when it comes to funding dental care for seniors.

One of the most common alternatives to dental plans for seniors are dental discount plans. These are like insurance plans in that you pay a membership fee for discounted care. The difference is, these usually cost less than insurance, and they don't have a deductible or an annual maximum. In fact, many seniors find they save more with a discount plan than they do with insurance.

You can find out more about dental savings plans, or read our article on financing dental care for more ways to save on senior dental care.

How to find a dentist for seniors near me

There are many dentists that specialize in geriatric care. To find a dentist for seniors in your area, you can begin by calling 866-383-0748. You'll be connected with clinics in your area who may provide care specifically for seniors.

Conclusion

Whether you're looking at dental insurance for yourself or an older family member, you want to be sure you've made the right choice. We hope the information provided here helps you work out what kind of policy you need and what level of cover would suit you.

Remember, balance the premium with the benefits to see how much you'll actually end up paying per year. And always check the policy details carefully before you sign up.

Don't forget, that if you want an easy way to find a dental plan for seniors, plus the ability to enrol on the spot, you can go to Dentalinsurance.com. They offer a wide range of plans, and guidance from licensed agents if you need it, just by calling 888-626-0057.

FAQs

What is the best dental insurance for seniors?

The best dental insurance plans for seniors include Delta Dental, Cigna, Nationwide and Spirit. These dental plans for seniors offer basic care to major restorative services.

Is senior dental insurance worth it?

To ensure maximized oral and overall health as a senior, it's important to make sure you have a way to finance dental work, from preventative to restorative procedures. This can take the form of dental insurance, or it could be a dental discount plan or even a payment plan to spread out costs.

Does AARP have a dental insurance program?

AARP offers three dental insurance plans for seniors through Delta Dental. The plans are an HMO and two PPOs. PPO plan A has a $50 deductible and an annual limit of $1,500. The PPO plan B has a $100 deductible and a limit of $1,000.