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Dental insurance vs dental discount plan: which costs less?

Updated 8 sources 3 min read
Short answer

Dental insurance charges a monthly premium, about $16 on average for an HMO and $35 for a standard PPO, and pays a share of your bills up to an annual maximum of usually $1,000 to $2,000, after waits of 3 to 12 months for basic and major work, according to Real Dental Costs. A dental discount or savings plan costs about $80 to $200 a year, pays no claims, and gets you 10% to 60% off at participating dentists, usually with no waiting period, deductible or annual maximum. Insurance usually costs less if you only need checkups; a discount plan often costs less for major work.

  • $80 to $200Discount plan, annual fee
  • 10% to 60%Discount plan, savings at participating dentists
  • $8 to $25Dental HMO, monthly premium
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Prices at a glance

  • Discount plan, annual fee$80 to $200
  • Dental HMO, monthly premium$8 to $25
  • PPO, $1,000 to $1,500 maximum, monthly premium$19 to $60
  • PPO, $3,000 maximum, monthly premium$38 to $70
  • Indemnity plan, monthly premium$40 to $90
  • Insurance annual maximum$1,000 to $2,000
  • Insurance deductible, per person$50 to $100

Side by side

Option A

insurance

  • Insurance annual maximum[1][2]
    $1,000 to $2,000
    Discount plans generally have none
  • Insurance deductible, per person[1][2]
    $50 to $100
    Discount plans generally have none
  • Insurance waiting period, major work[1]
    6 months to 12 months
    Basic work 3 to 6 months; preventive none
Option B

discount plan

  • Discount plan, annual fee[1]
    $80 to $200
  • Discount plan, savings at participating dentists[1][4]
    10% to 60%
    Varies by plan, dentist, procedure and ZIP code

Applies to both

  • Dental HMO, monthly premium[1]$8 to $25
  • PPO, $1,000 to $1,500 maximum, monthly premium[1]$19 to $60
  • PPO, $3,000 maximum, monthly premium[1]$38 to $70
  • Indemnity plan, monthly premium[1]$40 to $90

Prices are national ranges from the sources listed below. Your price depends on your provider, location and case; confirm the cost with your provider before treatment. How we get these prices

Dental insurance vs discount plan side by side

Dental insurance Dental discount (savings) plan
What you pay Monthly premium: $16 HMO, $35 standard PPO, $55 indemnity on average[1] Annual fee, about $80 to $200[1]
How it pays Plan pays a share: about 100% preventive, 80% basic, 50% major[1] Plan pays nothing; you pay a reduced fee[2]
Annual maximum Usually $1,000 to $2,000[1] Generally none[2]
Deductible Typically $50 to $100 per person[1] Generally none[2]
Waiting periods None preventive, 3 to 6 months basic, 6 to 12 months major[1] Usually none[2]
Pre-existing conditions Most plans apply a missing tooth clause to bridges[8] Usually discounted[2]
Network Often larger[2] Can be smaller[2]; DentalPlans.com lists 140,000 dentists across its plans[4]

Which costs less for you

Real Dental Costs’ rule of thumb: if you only need cleanings, exams and X-rays, insurance usually wins, because two covered visits a year usually exceed an $8 to $35 monthly premium. If you need major work, a discount plan often wins, because insurance pays nothing once you hit the annual maximum.[1]

Example: one crown

A crown costs about $1,560 without insurance, based on Pearl’s ADA fee survey data.[6]

  • With a PPO that pays 50% after the deductible, your share is about half the plan’s allowed fee plus the deductible, and you also pay the premium: $35 a month on average, or $420 a year.[6][1] If you are newly enrolled, the 6 to 12 month wait for major work may apply first.[1]
  • With a discount plan, you pay the plan’s fee for the crown. On DentalPlans.com’s Careington Care 500 Series listing for Houston (ZIP 77002), a single porcelain crown is $524 against $1,468 without the plan; the plan costs $184.95 a year at its regular price, plus a $20 processing fee.[5]

Prices in each plan’s fee schedule vary by ZIP code, so check the exact fee at your dentist before you join.[4]

When dental insurance is the better fit

  • You mostly need preventive care.[1]
  • Your dentist is in network and not in any discount plan.

When a discount plan is the better fit

  • You need major work soon and cannot wait 6 to 12 months.[1]
  • Your treatment would pass the $1,000 to $2,000 annual maximum.[1]
  • You have a pre-existing condition or a missing tooth an insurer would exclude.[2]
  • You want a lower fixed cost: Aspen Dental’s savings plan is $49 a year, plus $29 per added family member, at participating Aspen Dental offices only.[3]

Compare named plans in best dental savings plans, and see dental discount plans vs insurance for how plans like Aspen’s work.

Care Anytime’s dental benefit

Care Anytime’s dental benefit is a discount benefit, not insurance: members get 20% to 50% savings on most procedures, including unlimited cleanings, at participating dentists, and the plan does not pay providers directly. Its sample savings show an adult cleaning at $63 against $140 and a molar root canal at $777 against $1,535, based on 2021 FAIR Health data for Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago and New York City.[7]

Frequently asked questions

Is a dental savings plan the same as a discount plan?

Yes, the two names are used for the same kind of membership. DentalPlans.com sells them as dental savings plans and says savings plans are not insurance; Delta Dental calls them discount plans and describes them as a membership that gives discounted costs on dental services.

Is it cheaper to get dental insurance or a discount plan?

It depends on the care you need. Real Dental Costs says insurance usually wins for preventive-only patients, because two covered cleanings, exams and X-rays a year usually exceed an $8 to $35 monthly premium. For major work, a discount plan with 10% to 60% off and no cap often comes out ahead once insurance hits its annual maximum.

Do dental discount plans have waiting periods?

Usually not. Delta Dental says there usually is no required waiting period, and Aspen Dental says its savings plan discounts start the same day you enroll. Real Dental Costs says insurance typically waits 3 to 6 months for basic work and 6 to 12 months for major work.

Do discount plans cover pre-existing conditions?

Delta Dental says that under a discount plan, usually all services, including those for pre-existing conditions, receive some level of discount. Pearl says most insurance plans apply a missing tooth clause to bridges, which may exclude teeth lost before coverage began.

What is the downside of a dental discount plan?

You pay the whole discounted bill yourself, because the plan does not pay the dentist. Delta Dental also says the network of dentists can be smaller than an insurance plan's, so check that your dentist participates before you join.

How does a dental discount plan work?

You pay an annual fee, show your card at a participating dentist and pay the reduced fee at the visit. In Delta Dental's example, a filling with a $200 usual fee costs you $120 with a 40% discount.

Sources

  1. 1 Real Dental Costs. Dental Insurance Guide: Premiums, Coverage, Waiting Periods. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  2. 2 Delta Dental. What Is a Dental Discount Plan?. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  3. 3 Aspen Dental. Aspen Dental Savings Plan. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  4. 4 DentalPlans.com. Dental savings plans. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  5. 5 DentalPlans.com. Careington Care 500 Series: plan benefits (ZIP 77002). Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  6. 6 Pearl (citing ADA fee survey data). Dental Crown: National Cost (D2740). Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  7. 7 Care Anytime. Dental Discounts: Sample Savings. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  8. 8 Pearl (citing ADA fee survey data). Dental Bridge: National Cost (D6240). Accessed Oct 30, 2026.