How much does individual dental insurance cost? (2024)

Most dental plans will include a few different categories of costs that define the coverage. These include premiums, copays, coinsurance, deductibles and annual maximums.²

Monthly premiums

The premium is a monthly amount that you and/or your employer pays for insurance. The premium amount may vary between different insurance companies and from plan to plan. A typical premium amount for a dental plan may be $20–$50 per month for an individual or $50–$150 per month for a family.³

Copays

For many services covered under dental plans, the insurance company doesn’t pay for the full amount. The copay is the amount you pay for a dental treatment or service. Once you’ve paid the copay, your insurance will typically cover the rest of the cost.²

Deductibles

Many dental insurance plans require a deductible. This is the amount of money you must pay before your insurance benefits begin to take effect. Most >>preferred provider organizations (PPO) dental plans require that you pay a deductible.²

Coinsurance

The coinsurance determines what percentage of the dental service your insurance will cover. For example, if the insurance coinsurance is 90%, then the insurance company will pay 90%, and you will pay 10% of the covered charges.²

Annual maximums

The annual maximum is the total amount that your insurance will pay each year. Your coverage in a given year would be limited to this amount. Some dental plans do not have annual maximums.²

The costs of dental care can quickly add up if you don’t have >>dental insurance. How much you pay for a trip to the dentist may depend on what type of dental care you receive. We’ll cover some typical costs without insurance for preventive care, basic restorative services and major dental services.

Preventive dental care costs

Preventive care typically includes services like routine >>teeth cleanings, exams and >>dental X-rays. Many insurance plans will cover the full cost of covered preventive services. Without insurance, a routine cleaning and exam may cost $200 or more.⁴

Basic/restorative dental care costs

You may need basic or restorative dental care to fix a cavity or to place a crown on a damaged tooth. Without insurance, a >>composite dental filling can cost from $90–$250,⁵ and a >>ceramic dental crown may cost up to $2,000 for one tooth.⁶ Many dental insurance plans can cover up to 80% of the cost of basic restorative dental procedures.⁷

Major dental services costs

If you need to repair teeth after an injury, or treat an infection, you may require dental surgery. Surgery costs without insurance can be quite high. For instance, a >>root canal procedure may run from $700–$1,100 on a front tooth, or $1,200–$1,800 on a molar.⁸ Many dental plans can cover up to 50% of the cost for dental surgery.⁷

You have several options to help you cut your >>out-of-pocket costs for dental care. Some dental coverage categories include >>dental PPOs, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and dental indemnity plans.

Frequently asked questions

If you need help covering dental expenses, consider shopping for >>individual dental insurance or >>dental discount plans (not insurance). There are many different types of dental insurance, so you may find coverage options well within your price range.

1. Peter March, “How much does a dental bridge cost? Average prices for each type of tooth bridge,” Authority Dental, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
2. “Affordable Dental Insurance – How Much Does It Cost?” Aflac, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
3. Louise Norris, “What’s the difference between dental insurance and dental discount plans?” Healthinsuance.org, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
4. Danny Bonvissuto, “Free or Low-Cost Dental Care When You’re Uninsured,” WebMD, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
5. Amanda Napitu, “Dental Filling Guide: Costs, Benefits, Types, and Procedures,” Dentaly.org, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
6. Megan Peterson Boyle et al., “Dental Crown To Replace Teeth: Costs, Materials, Types, and More,” Dentaly.org, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
7. Aaron Clarius, “Dental Insurance Coverage,” NewMouth, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
8. Michael Bayba, “Cost of a Root Canal Without Insurance and With Insurance,” NewMouth, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
9. “Dental HMO vs. PPO dental insurance: what's the difference?” Delta Dental, last accessedJune 5, 2024.
10. Alyssa Hill, “Cost of Braces and Factors Affecting It,” NewMouth, last accessed June 5, 2024.