List of Top Dental Insurance for Elderly (2022 Reviews)

When growing old, the chances that your oral health will deteriorate increase. Seniors and older adults, in general, are more prone to inflammations and infections and are more likely to need a special treatment that will keep their health in the best possible condition. The teeth and the gums become more sensitive as time passes and can be easily damaged and broken.

Nowadays, there is a lot of advanced technology and advanced dental solutions that are beneficial, especially for those with special needs for maintaining excellent oral health.

However, these services can be costly and therefore, many people may not be able to afford them. In such cases, a senior best alternative is to get an insurance package that will cover many procedures and treatments.

There are a lot of top insurance alternatives on the market that are uniquely designed to fit the elderly ones’ needs. The pool with policies can be quite vast, and it might be difficult to choose from the products that are available out there. For that reason, we have reviewed several products, and in continuation, you can read about them and compare them

Most Recommended Dental Insurance Plans for Seniors

1Dental – Best Plans

1Dental is a successful company that provides its outstanding services to more than 10 million members since its conception. The company does not function as standard insurance, but instead, it offers specific dental plans. These are similar to a membership club where you need to pay a membership fee to become a member.

Similarly as the membership club, you should pay an annual fee to obtain the plan. Once it is set in motion, you are eligible for discounts of up to 60% of the initial price on different dental procedures, such as preventive check-ups, necessary procedures, and any other significant treatments.

You can quickly activate it, and also you won’t be required to pay any additional fees or be limited to annual maximums. Also, you can enjoy other benefits such as exclusive discounts on vision products and services from their partner company.

DentalAccess$99 – Greatest Value

The Dental Access is founded by the Aetna Network and by being a BBB-accredited company it strives towards offering the best to its customers. Every product is affordable and it covers most of the dental procedures that a senior citizen may find them as a must. They stand behind their quality, and as such, they offer a 30-day warranty.

The concept behind Dental Access is that it also operates as a membership club and their annual fee starts at $99. They offer even additional discounts for a group of 2 or 3 people. The yearly price for three people is $179, and as such it’s affordable.

Also, you can enjoy the additional benefit of buying discounted drugs at more than 60,000 pharmacies throughout the whole nation, as well as discounts on EyeMed eyewear.

HealthNetwork – Perfect for Individual

The Health Network Company provides insurance for more than 18 million customers nationwide. One reason why it is so successful is that in addition to the dental policy, it also offers medical insurance with full coverage. You are not obliged to subscribe to both programs if you don’t want to and you can only choose the one that you need more.

The company also offers one of the cheapest plans that are present on the market with a monthly fee starting from $10. Even though it’s that inexpensive, it provides full coverage for any dental check-up and discounted prices at every other dental treatment.

The company values its customers and their privacy and as such it strives to protect any information and provides the best possible services and support to them. The Health Network also offers a unique Give Back Program through which they give an additional discount to customers regarding retail stores, pharmacies, eyewear, etc.

Careington – Ideal for families & Individuals

Last, but not least on our list of reviews is the Careington insurance. That is the right alternative for you if you are looking insurance for you and your entire family. Two family members can be insured at a price of only $129 which is affordable for everyone.

Careington has established a partnership with DenteMax, and as a consequence, they’ve created the Maximum Care Discount network that has been able to provide such inexpensive products. The discount is widely recognized and used throughout the whole nation. Depending on the dental work you need, you are entitled to a refund of up to 50%.

The network has many highly experienced dentist that strive towards bringing the best service to their customers. With the Careington you can save a lot of money on preventive check-ups, root canal, x-ray scans, extraction, etc.

What to Look for In a Senior Dental Plan

When buying the right senior policy, there are several aspects that you need to account for. Once you get familiar with them in detail and you know what exactly you expect from the policy to cover, you will be able to buy the right dental plan.

Cost and Affordability

The cost of every high quality senior dental policy is different, and it depends on the provider and their contract that they provide. When buying a coverage, you will pay a premium, which is the actual policy’s cost. However, you need to be careful and read the contract in detail because many insurances may have hidden fees, deductibles and annual maximums.

The hidden costs may be related to any additional administrative work that may arise. On the other hand, the deductibles are payments that you need to make before the policy starts covering for you. The annual maximum is the amount until which the policy will cover for you and once that limit is reached you need to cover the expenses by yourself.

The dental insurances for seniors can be affordable, and you can choose among cheaper and more expensive ones. However, quality dental plans can be even more attractive, so might want to opt for this one, as they offer even more significant discounts.

Coverage

The insurance coverage also depends on the provider. However, the coverage for seniors is more generous because they may cover procedures that are usually not included with the regular dental insurance. Standard insurance will cover 100% of the preventive check-ups, 80% of the essential treatments and 50% of any major procedure.

With the senior’s insurance, you can get covered for any routine check-ups, x-ray scans, regular cleanings, fillings, etc. The preventive examinations are usually covered entirely, while the basic procedures may require a deductible or a copayment. Some dental plans will completely include all of these procedures without requiring any additional fee.

Because seniors usually need better care, the policy may cover advanced procedures that can be quite expensive if you pay them out-of-your pocket. These procedures include root canals, treatment for periodontics, extractions, orthodontia, etc. Always make sure to check in advance the and try to anticipate if it will satisfy your needs.

Network

When buying insurance as a senior, you are entitled to a particular network of dentists. Each provider has their network of dentists and you will be eligible for one depending on the type you choose. Each dentist is tested if they meet the criteria for providing outstanding services to their patients. They will also check whether they are eligible for the type of coverage you have and will further on help you with all of the bureaucracy regarding the whole process.

They can also explain to you what are your limitations and allowances if certain misunderstandings occur and whether you will be susceptible to any additional fees. Many insurances have different policies on whether you can choose your dentist from the network or you will be assigned to one. Usually, if you hold a Premium plan, you will be able to pick it by yourself. However, in most of the cases, you will be assigned to one.

Is it Worth Getting Insurance for Older Folks?

As we have already said, seniors sometimes need a particular treatment and enhanced dental care. That’s because the teeth and gums become more sensitive with time and may be readily infected. If the senior has other health problems, they may additionally impact its oral health and vice-versa.

These diseases include heart problems, strokes, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. Because of this, the insurance policies offer coverage for many dental procedures and may even provide other exclusive benefits.

When the need for oral care increases, so does the need for a less expensive treatment. Therefore, the insurance will come in handy when offering the procedures at an affordable cost. The typical annual premium may vary from $200-$350, while the out-of-pocket expenses can exceed $500 for a single procedure. That’s why many seniors opt for the top-rated insurance or the highly recommended dental plan that will offer the vast provision of benefits.

The positive effects of senior dental policies are even statistically backed up where numbers show that a significant portion of the out-of-pocket expenses is related to dental services. These can be substantially lowered with the proper insurance. Therefore, it’s wise not to wait until an emergency occurs and it’s recommended that you obtain one as soon as possible.

Many can have an extended waiting period, and you may not be able to use it during that time. Have in mind that regular medical insurance doesn’t cover dental care, so that’s another reason to start covering for dental costs.

Limitation and Exclusions

Every policy has its limitations and exclusions. To know what are the exact allowances or constraints, you should read the contract in detail, but usually, some things are universal for each insurance. Therefore, we’ve engaged in a lot of reviews, and we’ve outlined the most important things for you.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry procedures are never covered by regular dental insurance. The cosmetic dentistry covers procedures as teeth’s whitening, implants and any other procedure that improves the teeth’s aesthetics. Even though it is not common for senior insurance to cover these procedures, some offer to cover them partially.

When this is covered, the policy will account for every dentist’s visit from the beginning to the end of the procedure. You will get the proper treatment at every stage of the procedure, and the final result will be outstanding. Some policies have more prominent waiting period than others, but if you obtain a Premium plan, you might be exempt from any waiting.

If you are interested in cosmetic dentistry procedures and you want to use the insurance policy for them, then it is crucial that you review all options that are available out there and choose the one that will provide the best offer.

Discounted Rates

By obtaining a most recommended dental plan, you are eligible for discounted prices that can be reduced up to 60%, depending on the provider. To get entitled to discounted rates, usually, you need to become a member of a specific dental plan that will function as a membership club. By becoming a member, you have several benefits included that are related to the dental procedures.

Usually, you won’t have to pay any deductibles or be limited to annual maximums. Probably the only cost that you will face is the yearly membership fee with no other additional monthly payments. The annual fee will depend on the provider and on the number of people that will be covered by the single dental plan. You can buy a group membership, usually at a lower fee.

Many dental cosmetic procedures can be obtained at a discounted price, so these dental plans are really attractive from that aspect. Also, you can choose your dentist and choose from the various services that they offer.

Specialties

When becoming a member of a plan, you might be entitled to a unique set of benefits. They are usually additional benefits in addition to your regular dental care. That means that in addition to the dental discounts, you will also be eligible for different other discounts not related to dentistry. The products you get a discount for depending on which companies are in a partnership with the insurance provider.

Usually, the plan will enable you to have access to a lot of pharmacies, retail stores, ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, restaurants, unique deliveries, etc.

By having an exclusive access, you will be able to obtain their products and services at discounted prices. Some of the partner companies may require a certain amount of copayment, but usually, it is tiny and insignificant.

Waiting Periods

Very often, there is a certain waiting period before the insurance policy starts covering for you. No matter the provider, the insurance’s type or the policy’s holder of the policy, it seems as the waiting is an inevitable part. Therefore many guarantees for seniors are trying to eliminate any waiting periods or at least to decrease them.

The most common type of waiting period is the initial one that can even last up to 2 months. During this period the policy won’t cover for any check-ups and procedures, but sometimes it can make an exception in a case of an emergency. Sometimes, there can be an exclusion period when there is a pre-existing condition, and during this period you may wait if you had a specific requirement six months before signing the contract.

Our Final Thoughts

After reviewing the top-quality plans and insurances that we think are the best, we have also tried to outline the crucial factors that you should look for when buying the insurance. The process of choosing the right one can be exhausting and complicated and therefore, we hope that with our short review we have managed to give you a basic understanding of what your options are.

Also, make sure to straighten out your priorities before actually buying a specific insurance. Determine the exact budget you are willing to spend, as well as try to anticipate what you may need to be covered for with the coverage. It is also essential to perform due diligence on the operator and the contract itself because many companies may apply additional fees that haven’t been previously stated.

Every senior insurance policy offers different dental coverages, and you can choose it based on whether you need it to cover only preventive check-ups or other major procedures. We hope that we have managed to provide detailed enough information and that with our reviews we have managed to impact your decision-making process genuinely.