Group Dental Insurance

Group dental insurance is a very important benefit for your employees and is the 3rd most requested insurance benefit after group health insurance and a company retirement plan. Group benefits help attract and retain quality employees and will help your small business prosper.

Here is a quick overview of what you need to know about Group Dental Insurance plans.

Similar to health insurance, there are many types of dental insurance plans.

What Is Group Dental Insurance?

Group dental insurance helps cover the costs of preventive dental care while making other expensive procedures like fillings, crowns, and bridges more affordable.

Keep in mind that it is always best to shop around and find a dental insurance company with a plan that provides adequate coverage for your employees without sacrificing low annual reimbursement (usually $1,500 annual) or exclusions that can prevent paying more than they should.

The best dental insurance plans provide access to a broad network of dentists, reasonable annual benefit maximums, and low monthly premiums.

Be careful to also compare and review the dental plans you are considering so you know exactly what is and is not covered.

Dental Insurance Companies That We Represent

There are hundreds of insurance companies to consider but only a few (in our opinion) do a very good job at offering a comprehensive and affordable group dental plan.

Here are the top 7 group dental insurance companies that we recommend:

Aetna
Ameritas
Cigna
Guardian
Hartford (most affordable)
Metlife
United HealthCare

Follow this link for the latest rankings for the Best and Worst Group Dental Insurance Companies

How Much Does Group Dental Insurance Cost?

The cost of dental insurance varies by the company you work with and the plan design that you choose.

The average cost of a group dental insurance policy with comprehensive coverage will cost a single employee $20 to $50 per month and approximately $50–$150 per month for a family.

Obviously, cost is based on the benefits you choose to provide for your employees such as deductibles and the annual maximum your insurance company will pay each year. Typically $1,000 to $2,000 per year.

What Services Does A Group Dental Plan Include?

Most dental insurance plans cover preventive services such as checkups, cleanings, routine x-rays, and fluoride treatments at 100%. Basic services such as fillings, root canals and crowns are covered but are limited to about 50% of reimbursement. Plans that cover major services like Orthodontics and Braces tend to be more expensive and limit the payout to around 50% and a yearly maximum.

Types Of Dental Plans

Standard individual dental insurance plans include HMO dental plans and PPO dental plans.

HMO dental plans require that you choose one dentist or dental group in- network to handle all of your dental care needs. As long as that dentist or group is part of the HMO network, you will be covered for reimbursement.

PPO dental plans allow you to go out-of –network and choose from a list of many different dentists in your area, such as your current dentist that you have been going to for years. Although your dentist may not be in the network, you will still have coverage according to the reimbursement schedule.

There are also discount dental plans. These plans are not dental insurance, but can provide you with the freedom to visit many dentists at substantial discounts over their standard fees. Generally, dentists who participate in discount dental plans have made an agreement with the insurance company to charge less than their usual fees.

Although they are becoming increasingly rare, indemnity dental insurance plans are also still available and provide the freedom to choose the dentist of your choice at a higher out-of-pocket expense.