Dental savings plans explained: how they work and who they're for

What a dental savings plan is, and isn’t

A dental savings plan, also called a dental discount plan, is a membership. It is not insurance. The American Dental Association describes these plans as “technically not insurance plans.”

The company selling the plan signs up a network of dentists who agree to lower their fees for members. The plan never pays your dentist. You pay the reduced price yourself, at the visit.

That one difference explains most of what follows. There’s nothing to claim, so there are no claim forms, no waiting for reimbursement, and usually no yearly cap.

How a savings plan works

1. You pay a membership fee. Many plans bill once a year. Some, such as DentalSave, also offer monthly billing.
2. You pick a dentist from the plan’s list. Discounts only apply at participating dentists. See a dentist outside the network and you get no discount.
3. You show your membership card when you check in.
4. You pay the discounted price when you’re treated. The plan’s fee schedule sets that price, procedure by procedure.

What you usually get, according to the ADA’s MouthHealthy site and the plan sellers’ own pages:

• No deductible. The discount applies from the first visit.
• No annual maximum. You can use the plan as often as you need to.
• A fast start. DentalPlans.com says most plans activate within one to three business days, and many offer same-day activation for emergencies.
• Existing problems count. A tooth that already needs work is discounted like any other.

How much you save depends on the plan, the procedure and where you live. An article from the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), an industry group, puts discounts at 20 to 60 percent. It also notes that cleanings and X-rays are discounted, not fully covered as they are under most insurance plans.

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

A savings plan often makes sense if:

• You have no dental insurance and need a filling, crown, root canal or extraction.
• You need work soon. Some insurance plans have waiting periods for major work. A savings plan usually doesn’t.
• You’ve hit your insurance’s annual maximum. A plan can lower the price of work your insurance won’t pay for. You can’t use both on the same procedure.
• You have Medicare and no dental plan. Medicare doesn’t cover routine care like checkups, fillings or dentures, though some Medicare Advantage plans do.

It often doesn’t make sense if:

• You rarely need more than a checkup. The discount on a cleaning or two may not cover the membership fee. Do the math first.
• Your dentist isn’t in the network. You’d have to switch dentists to get any discount.
• Your employer offers dental insurance. Compare that first. Your employer may pay part or all of the premium.

How to check your dentist takes it before you pay

Do this before you pay for anything.

1. Search the plan’s dentist list by zip code, then look for your dentist by name.
2. Call your dentist’s office and name the exact plan. “Do you take DentalPlans?” isn’t enough, because one seller can offer many plans. Ask about the specific plan and network. DentalPlans.com warns that a dentist can drop a plan before the network’s list catches up.
3. Ask for your price with the plan. If you have a treatment estimate, ask what each item costs under that plan’s fee schedule.
4. Do the math. Add the membership fee to the discounted price of the work. Compare that with the price without the plan.
5. Read the cancellation terms. DentalPlans.com, for example, refunds plans cancelled within 30 days, minus a processing fee. Check whether the plan renews automatically.

Different plans use different dentist networks, so if your dentist isn’t listed under one, check another. 1Dental and DentalSave both have dentist searches on their sites.

Savings plan vs insurance

	Dental savings plan	Dental insurance
Is it insurance?	No	Yes
What you pay	A yearly or monthly membership fee	A premium, often monthly
Who pays the dentist	You, at the discounted price	The plan pays part or all, up to its limits
Deductible	Usually none	Often
Annual maximum	Usually none	Usually
Waiting periods	Usually none	Some plans, for major work
Cleanings and X-rays	Discounted	Often covered in full
Which dentists	Participating dentists only	Depends on the plan type

Neither one is always cheaper. Insurance tends to win for people who mostly need checkups, especially when an employer pays part of the premium. A savings plan tends to win when you need work now and have no coverage.

How to keep the bill down next time

A plan lowers the price of care. Needing less care lowers it more.

• Keep up with checkups, even if you pay the discounted price yourself, so small problems get fixed while they’re small.
• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, for two minutes, and clean between your teeth once a day.
• Don’t wait out a sore tooth. See what to do for a toothache right now.

A good electric toothbrush makes the daily habits easier. See the best electric toothbrush.