What's the difference?
The key differences between dental savings plans and dental insurance in the US are around cost, coverage, and how benefits are paid out.
The trade-off is insurance will fully cover more basics but caps payouts, while savings plans offer consistent discounts but no full coverage. People wanting coverage for expensive work may prefer insurance if able to afford premiums, while savings plans provide an immediate discount and access to treatment without delay. Many also get both if possible.
Note: Dental savings plans provide immediate access to treatment
Key differences
Insurance
Requires monthly or annual premiums, cost depends on plan details
Covers basic preventive care (cleanings, x-rays) and sometimes basic services
Pays an annual maximum amount for covered services
Uses networks of dentists, see in-network providers for maximum coverage
Often includes waiting periods for coverage on major work
Example: Pay $30/month, get 2 free cleanings per year. Covers 50% of fillings up to $1500 max
Savings plan
Typically an annual or monthly membership fee
Usually pays discounts on all services, no coverage maximums
Often lets you see any provider, dentists in the plan may offer deeper discounts
No waiting periods, discounts apply immediately
Example: Pay $70/year fee, save 15-50% off dental services depending on the provider
See pricing and dentists near you
Can you combine a savings plan with insurance?
It's often a good idea to combine dental insurance and a savings plan in order to maximize both cost coverage and consistent discounts on dental care. Here are a few key points on how they can work together:
Use insurance for basic preventive services
Savings plan can fill in gaps in coverage and lowers costs further
Maximizes overall affordability
Choose dentists that participate in both your insurance network and the savings plan
An example: a patient has dental insurance for 2 cleanings per year but needs 4 total. They also require a tooth extraction not fully covered by insurance. The savings plan applies 20% discounts to the 2 additional non-covered cleanings and then saves 30% on the patient portion of the extraction.
on all dental procedures