If you don't have dental coverage from an employer, you will find that most insurance companies do not offer individual dental insurance plans.

Many companies claim to offer individual dental insurance when they are actually selling discount plans that only provide discounts for dental services at participating providers and do not provide actual insurance benefits.

The plans from Ameritas, Aetna, Humana, and Primestar Dental below are individual and family dental insurance plans, not dental discount programs.

Ameritas Dental Plans

Our Rating:

For individuals and families that are looking for dental insurance, Ameritas offers the most comprehensive individual dental plans that include 100% coverage for Preventive care with no deductible. Ameritas is one of the nation's leading providers of dental care services with 3.5 million insured members nationwide. The Ameritas Traditional and Progressive Plans allow you the freedom to use any dentist and reimburse non-network providers at the 90th percentile of usual & customary prices (i.e. 9 out of 10 dentists do not charge more than Ameritas' reimubursement amount). The Ameritas Access and Advantage Plans require that you see a dentist in the Ameritas PPO Dental Network and provide a better value.

Aetna Individual Advantage Dental Plans

Our Rating:

Aetna Individual Advantage Dental has two plans to meet your meets - the Aetna Individual Advantage^SM Dental PPO Plan and the Aetna Individual Advantage^SM Dental PPO Plus Plan. They both offer coverage for:

• Preventive care services such as cleanings, x-rays and more
• Basic care like fillings, simple extractions, root canals, basic restorative work and more
• Major services such as bridges, crowns, dentures and more

Features of the Standalone Dental Plans include:

• No underwriting required - plan is automatic issue
• Members who access participating PPO dentists will receive discounts (equal to the PPO negotiated rate) for non-covered services such as tooth whitening and adult orthodontics
• All Individual Advantage PPO Dental Plan members get access to Aetna's Value Added Discount Programs. Members can save on: Vision, Natural Products and Services, Fitness, and discounts on Oral Health Care Supplies. In addition, discounts on vitamins, massage and acupuncture are also available

Humana Dental Plan C550

Our Rating:

The Humana Pre-Paid Dental Plan C550 (also referred to as CompBenefits Plan C550 since Humana's purchase of CompBenefits in 2007) gives you access to services with low co-payments through a wide network of dentists. This is a great plan for individuals who want:

• No co-payments on many diagnostic and preventive procedures
• Confidence that you will save money on dental care.
• No benefit maximums

Plan Features

• 100% coverage on many diagnostic and preventive procedures. You pay nothing for this dental work.
• Low $10 office visit co-payment
• Discounts on Specialty Care and certain Cosmetic Procedures
• No benefit maximum or claim forms
• A provider network with more than 5,000 network dentists
• Specialty care and some cosmetic procedures covered at a discount

How It Works

• First, sign up for coverage. When you are filling in your application you will need to select your Primary Care Dentist. Family members under the same plan may select different dentists.
• You visit your dentist and pay only the fees listed on the schedule of benefits.

PrimeStar Dental Plans

Our Rating:

PrimeStar Dental Plans offer reasonable premiums starting at $23 per month and feature:

• No Enrollment Fee
• Up to $2,000 Annual Benefit Option
• 100% Preventive Coverage Option
• No Waiting Periods for Most Services
• Choice of Mulitple Plan Designs
• Initial 12 Month Rate Guarantee
• Freedom to Use Dentist of Your Choice
• Optional Vision Coverage

PrimeStar Senior Dental Plans - Ages 60+

Our Rating:

PrimeStar Senior Dental Plans offer reasonable premiums starting at $23 per month and feature:

• Freedom to Use Any Dentist of Your Choice - optional network available for additional savings
• No Enrollment Fee
• Up to $2,000 Annual Benefit Option
• 100% Preventive Coverage Option
• No Waiting Periods for Most Services
• 3 Cleanings Per Year
• Choice of 2 Plan Designs
• Initial 12 Month Rate Guarantee
• Free Hearing Aid Benefit Included

Aetna Vital Savings Discount Plan

Our Rating:

Aetna Vital Savings is a discount or reduced-fee dental and vision program. This program is designed for health conscious consumers looking to maintain their oral health and minimize their dental and vision care expenses. If your health insurance policy doesn’t cover dental, vision or prescriptions, this plan will save you money of these expenses.

CAREINGTON Dental Savings Program

Our Rating:

In our opinion, the CAREINGTON 500 Series Dental Plan is the one of the best discount dental plans available. Their fee reductions are two to three times larger than most discount programs and their network has over 54,000 dental providers to choose from. Some of the largest companies use Careington such as Humana, BlueCross BlueShield, Prudential, and Citigroup.