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Dental insurance

Looking for dental insurance? Good idea! After all, oral health is important to overall health and wellness.¹ So, whether you want coverage for yourself, your family, or your business, we’ll help you find a plan that fits your budget — and helps keep everyone healthy.

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Affordable dental insurance plans for individuals, families, and businesses

  • Get coverage for you and your family - Icon - Dental

    Get coverage for you and your family

    Don’t have dental benefits from work? No problem — we have individual plans starting at $15 a month.²

    Get a quote

  • Get coverage for your employees - Icon - Dental provider

    Get coverage for your employees

    Give employees access to dental insurance and help them come to work feeling their best.

    Learn about group dental insurance

Why millions of Americans choose Guardian dental insurance

Dentist choice is important to a lot of people, and with more than 130,000 providers nationwide, Guardian offers one of the largest dental networks around. With so many providers, there’s a great chance you’ll find a nearby network dentist. Most plans pay all or most of the charge for checkups and cleanings — so there's no reason not to see your dentist for regular services that can be so important to your overall health.5

  • What does dental insurance cover? - Icon - Compliance

    What does dental insurance cover?

    Dental coverage helps protect your overall oral care. That includes things like preventive cleanings, x-rays, restorative services like fillings, and more complex services like root canals and oral surgery.

  • The benefits of having dental insurance - Family

    The benefits of having dental insurance

    Good oral health is important to your overall health.6 And people with dental benefits are much more likely to get regular dental care that helps maintain healthy teeth and gums.7

  • Purchasing dental insurance on your own - Icon - Toothbrush toothpaste

    Purchasing dental insurance on your own

    Guardian makes it easy for individuals and families to shop dental plans, get a free quote, and buy directly online. Or you can shop for a Guardian dental plan on the Federal Exchange Marketplace.

FAQ

Top questions about dental insurance

  • Need dental insurance right now? - Woman smiling looking ahead

    Need dental insurance right now?

    Find an individual plan and enroll today, or shop the Federal Exchange Marketplace for a Guardian plan. With Guardian, there’s no waiting period for preventive services like oral exams, cleanings, and x-rays. However, coverage begins on the first of the month following enrollment when paying by credit card or ACH. Waiting periods may vary by state.

Need more information?

Resources to help you learn and compare.

Visit the Learning Center
  • Take our oral health quiz - Father and child brushing teeth

    Take our oral health quiz

    Go now

  • How dental insurance works - Portrait of woman with freckles

    How dental insurance works

    Learn more

  • How to compare dental costs - Dentist looking at model teeth with patient

    How to compare dental costs

    Learn more

  • What employers should know about group dental insurance - Meeting with coworkers

    What employers should know about group dental insurance

    Learn more

  • How to support employee health and well-being, one smile at a time - Smiling man in front of brick wall

    How to support employee health and well-being, one smile at a time

    Learn more

  • Read the Guardian report Dental Fundamentals: In-demand benefits that support well-being - Family using bamboo toothbrushes

    Read the Guardian report Dental Fundamentals: In-demand benefits that support well-being

    Read now

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Are you a dental professional?

Find out how to join Guardian’s growing network of dental benefit providers.

Join our network

1 Mayo Clinic, Oral health: A window to your overall health, 2021

2 Costs vary by state and available plan type selected.

3 Mayo Clinic, Oral health: A window to your overall health,

4 2021, https://www.guardianlife.com/dental-insurance/individuals

5 Colgate, Types Of Dental Coverage: Which Is Right For You?, 2023

* Actual costs vary, but dental crown can cost $2,000 or more. A good comprehensive plan can lower that to under $700. Here's how: We'll assume you have a PPO dental plan that covers major procedures at 50%, you're past the waiting period, and your dentist's customary fee for the treatment is $2,000. With a 35% in-network discount, the fee goes down to $1,300. After paying your $50 deductible, the insurance company pays half of the remaining $1,250 charge, and you owe the other half ($625). You save $1,325, and your total out-of-pocket expense is $675.

** Mobile app currently only supports Group planholders.

Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.

DentalGuard Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-DG2000, et al; GP-1-DEN-16; DG7-P. The state approved form is the governing document.

Individual dental insurance products are underwritten by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, New York or by one of its wholly owned subsidiaries. Dental provider networks vary by state, by market and by plan type. Plans availability, benefits and deductibles vary by state. Rates are guaranteed for one year for the plan benefits initially selected. Policies renew annually. Please refer to your plan documents for a complete list of limitations and exclusions. Policy Form IP-DEN-16; IP-DEN-20; et. al. Plan documents are the final arbiter of coverage. This policy provides DENTAL insurance only.

[This information is not intended for residents of New Mexico.]

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Dental insurance helps people keep their mouths and gums healthier by making regular checkups more affordable and helping to pay for other dental treatments and services. Preventive care visits are often covered in full or with just a small copay. That helps encourage regular cleanings and helps catch minor problems while they are easier (and less expensive) to treat. Coverage for other treatments and procedures varies; some plans focus on basic care (like fillings and extractions) and others will cover major procedures like root canals and crowns.

Different dental plans from different insurance companies offer various combinations of benefits, features, and options, so it can pay to shop around. But generally speaking, the best dental insurance for individual and family needs is a plan that meets their needs and supports dental health by letting them see a dentist they like, with coverage for the treatments they're likely to need, at a price that fits their budget.

Most dental policies are dental PPOs.8 These plans have a network of dentists who agree to provide care at a discounted rate. When you go to an in-network dentist, your out-of-pocket cost for dental treatment will likely be less. With a dental PPO plan, you may also see a dentist who isn't in the network; however, your out-of-pocket costs may likely be higher. Dental PPO plans generally let you see a broader range of providers than a dental HMO, but dental HMOs typically have lower premiums and fewer out-of-pocket costs. With DHMO you must obtain services from a designated Primary Care Provider (who is in network) in order to be eligible for benefits.

There is no set standard for what constitutes “basic” dental coverage, and different dental insurance plans cover different procedures. But generally speaking, a basic plan will cover standard preventive dental care — checkups, cleanings, routine x-rays, and sometimes, fluoride treatments. Insurance companies such as Guardian also provide more comprehensive plans that can cover other things that contribute to oral health:

  • Basic care: Fillings, extractions, and other minor services

  • Major care: Root canals, crowns, bridges, and dentures

  • Orthodontic treatment: Braces and other types of teeth aligners

Each dental insurance plan will have its own list of covered and non-covered procedures. Generally speaking, the most inexpensive basic plans will have a shorter list of covered procedures (typically for preventive care) with more exclusions, and the more expensive comprehensive plans will cover more procedures with fewer exclusions.

Yes, as with health insurance, you can buy dental insurance as an individual or family if benefits aren't available through your employer. Dental insurance cost doesn't have to be a barrier: a variety of affordable dental plans are readily available, and you don't need to go through an insurance agent -- it's easy to buy directly online.

According to HHS.gov, states are required to cover dental services for people with Medicaid under the age of 21, as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. However, states may or may not elect to provide dental benefits to their adult Medicaid-eligible population, and fewer than half of states provide comprehensive dental care.

Coverage options

However you choose to get dental insurance, it’s a good choice

  • An individual or family plan - Happy family relaxing in bed

    An individual or family plan

    Get a simple plan that focuses on preventive dental care, or a higher-level plan that can help lower your cost for complex procedures like dental implants or crowns.*

  • A workplace plan - Coworkers in a meeting

    A workplace plan

    A lot of employers offer dental benefits, because it’s a good way to help attract top talent and support employee well-being. Employers should offer plans with affordable group coverage rates, a robust provider network, and easy payroll deductions. Plus, your employer may even pick up a portion of the premium.