Best Dental Plans for Seniors: What to Look for, Discounts, and More

Dental problems are among the most common health issues affecting seniors. Approximately 1 in 5 seniors aged 65 and above live with untreated tooth decay.

About 96 percent of them have had a cavity that may need to be re-treated in the future. A significant number of seniors have also experienced gum disease and tooth loss. All of these issues are even more prevalent among smokers and people living on low incomes.

Seniors need a reliable dental plan to maintain good oral health. Medicare offers very little dental coverage, so you’ll have to find a dental insurance plan independently.

Luckily, there are many options to choose from. Some of the best senior dental insurance providers are listed below.

Best Senior Dental Insurance Providers for 2022

• Most affordable options: Humana

• Most flexible: Aflac

• Most extensive network coverage: Aetna

• Fastest service: United Health Care

• Best preventive care: Cigna

Humana

Humana is the most affordable dental plan provider thanks to their scaled tiers of service. They offer the following four plans at different price points:

• Preventive Value. This plan covers 100 percent of preventive care (like cleanings) and 50 percent of basic care (like fillings) It starts at $18 per month and offers maximum deductibles of $50 per person. It has no waiting period for preventive care.

• Dental Preventive Plus. This plan offers the same coverage as the Preventive Value plan but covers your whole family (3 or more people). It costs slightly more than the Preventive Value plan but features the same maximum deductibles of $50 per person (up to $150 per family). It has a waiting period of six months for basic services.  

• Dental Loyalty Plus. This plan’s coverage grows over each year for the first three years of your coverage, giving you an incentive to stick with it for the long run. By the final year, you will receive 70 percent coverage for basic services and 50 percent coverage for major services like root canals and dentures. It starts at $28 per month and has a maximum deductible of $150 for an individual and $450 for a family. Also, there are no waiting periods.

• Complete Dental. This plan offers immediate coverage that includes 100 percent of preventive care, 80 percent of basic care, and 50 percent of major care.It starts at $44 a month with maximum deductibles are $50 per person and $150 for a family. It has zero waiting period for preventive care, six months for basic services, and 12 months for major services.

In addition to dental care, Humana provides the option to add vision coverage to the plan for about $17 per month.

Pros

• Multiple plans to choose from

• Large network

• Low deductibles

• No waiting periods for some plans

Cons

• Some plans aren’t available in all states

• Waiting periods of six to 12 months for some services with lower plans  

• The annual benefit is limited to $1,000 in the first year

Aflac

With no notable network restrictions, Aflac is the one of the most flexible dental plan providers for seniors. You can use your coverage at almost any dentist’s office in the country. The company offers online policy management to help policyholders review or adjust their coverage at any time. Annual maximums vary with the policy, and deductibles decrease over time.

Maximum deductibles are $50 per person in the first year and $25 in the second year. There are no deductibles in the third year and beyond. Waiting periods depend on the type of service, as shown below.

• X-rays and dental wellness visits: No waiting period

• Pain relief: Three months

• Root canals and extractions: Six months

• Dentures: 24 months

Pros

• You can go to any dentist of your choice

• The company issues the reimbursement to you, not the dentist

• No deductibles in the third year

Cons

• Some long waiting periods (up to 24 months)

• Pre-existing dental conditions are not covered

• Plans availability depends on the state

Aetna

With a network of over 120,000 practitioners, Aetna has extensive network coverage and is easily accessible by seniors across 50 states. Seniors can choose from the two coverage tiers: the preferred PPO plan and the lower-tier plan. The maximum deductible per person per year is $50 and $150 for a family.

There’s no waiting period for preventive care, but there’s a six-month waiting period for basic services and a 12-month waiting period for major services. Annual benefits are limited to $1,250 for in-network services and $1,000 for services outside the network.      

Pros

• An extensive network of practitioners

• Preventive care has no waiting period

Cons

• Massachusetts has limited coverage

• Limited options

• Fillings and extractions have a six-month waiting period

United Health Care

This dental care provider has no waiting time for seniors, making it the best choice for fast services. You can choose from four different plans, including Gen Saver Dental, Gen Plus Dental, Gen Basic Dental, and Gen Deluxe Dental. In addition, there’s an option to add vision and hearing coverage to the plan.

Maximum annual benefits range from $1,000 to $2,000. The maximum deductible for the Gen Deluxe plan is $50 per person per year and $100 for the other plans.

Pros

• Includes hearing aids and exams in the dental plan

• Many services have no waiting period

• You can add vision coverage to the dental plan

Cons

• Not available in all states

• Expensive out-of-network coverage

Cigna

Cigna takes the lead in preventive care since there’s no copay or deductible for preventive services. There is also no paperwork to worry about since your dentist files the claims for you. You get 24/7 customer support and over 92,000 dentists in the network. Dental plans include:

• Cigna Dental Preventive: $19 per month. 

• Cigna Dental 1,000: $33 per month with an annual limit of $1,000.

• Cigna Dental 1,500: $39 per month with an annual limit $1,500.

The top two plans have deductibles of $50 per person and $150 for a family. The waiting period is six to 12 months depending on the service.

Pros

• You get to choose from three plans

• Offers 100 percent payment for in-network preventive care

• Preventive care has no waiting period

Cons

• The basic plan has limited coverage

• Annual benefits are limited to $1,000 and $1,500

Medicare and Medicaid: Why They Aren’t the Best

Medicare has limited dental coverage. Medicare part A pays for inpatient dental services that you get while in a hospital. Generally, Medicare doesn’t cover tooth extraction, filling, cleaning, dental plates, dentures, among other dental services. This makes it a very poor option to help you cover the cost of dental services.   

Medicaid does provide some dental care, but it is mostly limited to children and individuals under 21 years. States decide whether to provide dental care for adults over 21 years. In most states, there is no comprehensive dental care for adults.

Dental Needs of Seniors

Most seniors have dental problems, including darkened teeth, root decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. You can prevent or minimize these problems by practicing good oral hygiene. Some of the measures you can take include:

• Brushing at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

• Flossing at least once a day.

• Rinsing daily with an antiseptic mouthwash.

• Visiting your dentist for regular checkups.

Dental Discount Plans

Dental discount plans are savings schemes that help members save for future dental expenses. Discount plans are usually cheaper than dental insurance and have no waiting periods, no deductibles, and no copays to worry about. There are usually also no restrictions or annual limits. This makes them a good option for low-income seniors. They are especially helpful if you know you may need a lot of dental care all at once (for example, if you need several tooth extractions and bone grafts before geting implants or dentures).

The most popular discount plan is Dentalplans.com. With this plan, members can save 10 percent to 60 percent of their expected dental care cost. Members can receive discounted dental care from a network of over 100,000 dentists.

Frequently Asked Questions