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Before diving into how to get dental insurance, it’s important to understand which kind of dental insurance will work best for your unique situation. Determining how much coverage you need, deciding on the right type of plan and choosing an insurer that listens to your needs are top priorities.
At Aflac, we offer primary dental insurance with a host of helpful benefits like no waiting period for routine care, the freedom to work with any of our participating dentists and affordable monthly rates. We also offer supplemental dental insurance to help cover treatments and procedures not covered by your primary dental insurance policy.
Dental insurance is a plan designed to help prevent and care for your teeth and gum issues.1 Usually, you pay a monthly premium to keep the dental insurance policy active.2 In some cases, you may need to pay a deductible – or minimum amount of money toward your dental work before benefits kick in.3
In other cases, there may be a cap on the amount of coverage you can receive for dental services.4 You may also face waiting periods for specific treatments before you can receive benefits.
When you shop for dental insurance, you may want to consider which treatments and procedures you think you’ll need in the future. For example, if you know you will need to get dentures, you can explore the coverage and waiting periods within specific dental insurance plans and see which option best fits your needs.
At Aflac, we provide a variety of dental services. Depending on the plan you choose, you can expect some coverage for:
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Help cover yourself and your family with affordable coverage from Aflac.
Now, we’ll break down what’s required in every step to determine how to get dental insurance:
First, we recommend considering which dental treatments and procedures you may need in the future. Next, you’ll want to consider if you need to provide coverage for dependents. If you need dental coverage for your children and spouse, it may be a good idea to get dental insurance that includes family coverage.
You may be able to get dental coverage for your spouse or dependents through Aflac's dental insurance plan. Chatting with an agent can help you clarify how much coverage you may need.
With some dental insurance plans, only certain dentists are considered "in-network," and you'll want to ensure you select a dentist within that network to help bring the costs of treatments down.2 There are a few kinds of dental insurance you’ll want to understand before choosing a policy.
PPO stands for preferred provider organization and facilitates a relationship between dental providers and insurance companies. If you choose an in-network provider, you can receive dental services at a reduced cost. You can still get some coverage with out-of-network dentists, but you may not get the same benefits. Our dental plan is considered a passive PPO, so you can see providers in and out-of-network without the same penalties typically found in active PPOs.
HMO stands for health maintenance organization and is like a PPO dental plan, but the policyholder can only get services from in-network providers and must be referred by a primary care physician. Due to less accessibility to outside dentists, these insurance plans are usually less expensive.3 You can’t see an out-of-network provider, even if you are willing to pay out-of-network fees.3
If you decide to shop for dental insurance, there are many companies and plans to consider. We recommend exploring all your options before making a choice so that you can get an affordable dental insurance plan that works for you.
Now that you know how to get dental insurance, you can decide if it’s the right fit for you. We believe dental insurance is worth it because taking care of your oral health early on may prevent the need for serious dental treatments and procedures later.
The best dental insurance plan is one that offers coverage suited for your needs at a price you can afford. If you currently have a preferred dentist, make sure they’re in your plan’s provider network before making a decision.
Keep in mind that the best plan for you may not necessarily have the lowest premiums, but will cover the treatments you may need. For instance, if you think you’ll need more complex dental treatments, a plan with higher premiums and a lower deductible may work best. But if you have good oral health and will mainly only need preventive care, then it may be smart to choose a plan with a higher deductible and lower premium.
Dental insurance can help you get the oral care you need without breaking the bank. At Aflac, we offer full coverage dental insurance with affordable premiums to help lower costs for a wide range of services. You can also add on our supplemental dental insurance plan if your primary dental plan doesn’t quite meet your coverage goals. Start chatting with an agent today to learn more.
1 Investopedia - How Does Dental Insurance Work. Updated December 15, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/111715/how-does-dental-insurance-work.asp.
2 Investopedia - Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Updated August 13, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/preferred-provider-organization.asp.
3 Investopedia - Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Updated December 16, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hmo.asp.
Coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
Arkansas, Policies A81100AR–A81400AR. Policies A82100RAR–A82400RAR. In Delaware, Policies A81100–A81400. Policies A82100R–A82400R. In Idaho, Policies A81100ID–A81400ID. Policies A82100RID–A82400RID. In New York, Policies NY81100–NY81400. Policies NY82100–NY82400. In Oklahoma, Policies A81100OK–A81400OK. Policies A82100ROK–A82400ROK. In Oregon, Policies A81100OR–A81400OR. Policies A82100ROR–A82400ROR. In Pennsylvania, Policies A81100PA–A81400PA. Policies A82100RPA–A82400RPAR. In Texas, Policies A81100TX–A81400TX. Policies A82100RTX–A82400RTX. In Virginia, Policies A81100VA–A81200VA. Policies A82100RVA–A82400RVA.
Coverage underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company.
Dental, Vision and Hearing: In Arkansas, Policy T80000AR. In Delaware, Policy T80000. In Idaho, Policy T80000ID. In Oklahoma, Policy T80000OK. In Oregon, Policy T80000OR. In Texas, Policy T80000TX. Not available NY or VA. Dental claims are administered by Aflac Benefits Solutions, Inc. Vision claims are administered by EyeMed Vision Care, LLC. Hearing claims are administered by Nations Hearing. NOTICE: The coverage offered is not a qualified health plan (QHP) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is not required to satisfy essential health benefits mandates of the ACA. The coverage provides limited benefits. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers.
This is a brief product overview only. Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to DE, ID, NJ, NM, NY or VA. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations and exclusions. For complete details, including availability and costs, please contact your local Aflac agent. Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.
Aflac WWHQ | Tier One Insurance Company | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999
Z2400084
EXP 2/25
