If you’re an Arizona resident wondering if dental insurance is worth the expense, you’re not alone. For many people, dental insurance premiums don’t fit in their household budget. That being said, preventative care is essential for your health and wellbeing.  If you have a tooth infection or need a root canal, for example, it’s important to be able to access quality dental care.

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Cost of Dental Insurance in Arizona 

Stand-alone Arizona dental insurance for adults, when purchased through the Arizona exchange, can cost anywhere from $10 to $56 per month. 

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When considering whether or not to get a dental insurance plan, you should consider not just the expense of monthly premiums but also each plan’s coverage. The cost of insurance premiums varies based on what plans cover, their annual maximums, and out-of-pocket costs. You’ll spend more than just the $10 to $56 premium, depending on a plan’s deductible, the amount of coverage for each service, and the types of dental care you need.

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How to Get Dental Care Without Dental Insurance in AZ 

Don’t have dental insurance? No need to panic! There are many options for accessing affordable dental care, with or without insurance. Let’s take a look at some of your top options for affordable dental services.

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Speak to Your Dental Office 

It’s worth asking your current dentist about in-house payment plans or other options for affordable dental care, as they may be able to provide resources to help. They may offer free or low-cost dental care on certain days of the year, or they may have a membership-based dental savings plan for a yearly fee.

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Dental Financing 

If you have a major dental procedure on the horizon, dental financing is another option that can help manage the cost. Some loan servicers offer personal loans to cover the costs of such procedures; they may advertise them as dental loans specifically or as medical loans.

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If you take out a personal loan to finance your dental procedure, your loan servicer will set an interest rate and monthly payment, allowing you to access the care you need without delay. Before applying for a loan, determine what monthly payment you can make, compare loan servicers, and get pre-qualified with your bank or loan servicer.

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Dental Grants

Government and private dental grants offer low-income patients the opportunity to access the medical care they need at no cost. Once granted, there’s no need to pay back a loan servicer or make room in your already tight budget. Grants are often geared toward specific groups or dental procedures, so you’ll need to research the eligibility criteria for various grants to find one that might work for you. 

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Best Dental Insurance in AZ 

If you’re looking for dental insurance in Arizona, here is a list of the top dental insurance providers in the state.

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1. Delta Dental

Delta Dental of Arizona is an insurance provider offering traditional dental insurance plans. They offer accessible dental benefit programs with the aim of promoting oral health for as many people as possible.

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Pros:

• High maximum annual payout: Plans offer up to $2,000 in annual payouts.
• Free Until Three™: Parents aren’t charged for children under three.
• Affordable premiums: Delta Dental offers monthly premiums as low as $20 per person per month.
• Coverage for major services: Higher-tier plans offer up to 50% coverage for major services like root canals, surgical extractions, or crown repairs.

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Cons: 

• Waiting periods: Subscribers must wait 6 to 9 months for major services.
• Lack of coverage for major services under some plans: Less expensive plans do not cover major services like root canals or surgical extractions, and subscribers must pay 50% of basic services like x-rays.

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2. Smart Health Dental

Smart Health Dental is an insurance company dedicated to providing quality dental care to help subscribers save on dental services. They offer multiple insurance and non-insurance plans to help policyholders achieve good dental health. 

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Pros:

• No waiting periods: Dental benefits take effect immediately.
• Variety of coverage options: Smart Health Dental offers insurance plans, non-insurance plans, and discount cards.
• Coverage grows over time: Some plans offer increases in coverage each year for the first three years.
• Broad network: Smart Health Dental’s network includes over 200,000 providers.

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Cons: 

• No online sign-up: Potential subscribers must call in to enroll in a plan.
• Limited customer service hours: Subscribers can only access customer service on weekdays.

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3. Cigna

Cigna offers plans for medical, medicare, dental, vision, hearing, and supplemental health insurance. Their choices for dental coverage include high annual maximum plans, low-deductible plans, and bundled dental, vision, and hearing plans.

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Pros:

• Dental savings program: Cigna offers a dental discount plan for those without traditional dental insurance.
• No waiting periods: Subscribers can access coverage immediately.
• Partial reimbursement for out-of-network dentists: Cigna offers some reimbursement for out-of-network services.

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Cons: 

• Limited orthodontic services: Only some plans offer coverage for orthodontia.
• Limited coverage for implants and dentures: Not all plans cover major services like implants and dentures.

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4. Humana

Humana offers stand-alone insurance plans (i.e., plans not connected to health insurance plans), with plans starting at $18 a month. Potential subscribers can enroll online, and Humana offers customer service application support via phone.

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Pros:

• Veteran discounts: Veterans and their families can access discounted plans.
• Unlimited preventative care: Policyholders receive unlimited annual coverage for preventative and basic care.
• Lifetime deductible: Policyholders only pay deductible costs up to $50 for individuals or $150 for families over their lifetime.

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Cons: 

• Limited major dental care coverage: Lower-cost plans only cover basic dental care.
• Enrollment fees: Humana requires a non-refundable enrollment fee for some plans.

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5. Ameritas

Ameritas is an insurance provider offering affordable dental, vision, and hearing plans. They offer policyholders access to the Ameritas Dental Network offering 25 to 50% savings on out-of-pocket costs.

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Pros:

• Preventative Plus: Ameritas’ Preventative Plus plan add-on ensures Type 1 preventative procedures aren’t deducted from annual maximums, saving the annual maximum for more expensive procedures.
• Options for teeth whitening coverage: The Prime Star Boost/Access plan includes teeth whitening as a Type 3 major benefit.
• Translation services: Ameritas has Spanish-speaking claims associates and offers translation service in many languages.
• No waiting periods: Ameritas offers next-day coverage for subscribers.

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Cons: 

• Limited coverage for major services: Lower-tier plans only pay 10 to 20% coverage for major services like root canals.
• Limited orthodontic care: The least expensive plan, PrimeStar Lite, does not cover orthodontia.

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6. Physicians Mutual

Physicians Mutual offers dental, life, cancer, and pet insurance as well as medicare supplement plans. They offer four dental insurance plans and allow bundling of dental, vision, and hearing coverage.

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Pros:

• No deductibles: Physicians Mutual plans have no deductibles for policyholders to hit and no annual maximums on cash benefits.
• Preventative coverage: Preventative services are 100% covered in all plans.
• In-network savings: Policyholders save 36% when they use in-network dentists.

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Cons: 

• Limited major care coverage: The least expensive plan, Economy, only offers 25% coverage for major services.
• Fewer affordable options: The lowest-tier plan, Economy, costs more than many other low-cost plans at $30.50 per month.

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7. Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona

Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona offers a range of dental insurance coverage, from preventative to in-depth care. Subscribers can choose from PPO, HMO, and Prime plans, which are affordable plans offering comprehensive coverage. 

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Pros:

• Range of options: Subscribers can choose from eight plan options.
• Prevention +1 program: This extra care option provides diabetic and pregnant members with one additional cleaning or periodontal maintenance procedure annually.
• No waiting periods for most plans: Subscribers to most plans don’t need to wait for care.

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Cons:

• Limited major services coverage: Some plans offer no coverage for major dental services.
• Limited annual maximums for some plans: The BluePreferred Dental Plan 1i pays out a maximum of $500 per year.
• Waiting periods: All plans require a 6-month waiting period for minor restorative services and a 12-month waiting period for major restorative services.

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What Does Dental Insurance in AZ Cover? 

The services dental insurance in Arizona covers depends on the type of plan you have and the insurance company you choose. Some plans only cover preventative services, without more expensive basic and major care coverage. Other plans cover significant portions of the costs for major services, but those plans often require higher monthly premiums.

More on Arizona Dental Insurance

We know you still have questions about dental insurance in Arizona - and we have answers. Learn more about dental insurance coverage in Arizona as you decide on your best path for affordable dental care.

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What dental resources are available in Arizona? 

There are several reputable dental insurance companies that offer plans in Arizona, but if you can’t afford insurance premiums right now, you have other options.

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You can ask your current dentist’s office if they offer any discounts or no-cost dental services. Financing, or taking out a loan, is another option to spread out payments for major services over time, or you may be eligible to apply for dental grants.

What are some affordable dental insurance providers in AZ? 

Many of the top dental insurance companies in Arizona offer more affordable plans. The best and most affordable plan depends on your budget. It’s important to consider all elements of the plans you’re considering, like monthly premiums, what services are covered at that cost, annual deductibles, and annual maximum cost.

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Which insurers offer dental coverage through the Arizona marketplace? 

Some of the major insurers offering dental coverage in Arizona include:

• Humana
• Physicians Mutual
• Cigna
• Ameritas
• Smart Health Dental
• Delta Dental

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Check out a breakdown of each of these servicer’s benefits above to learn what services they cover and how much premiums cost. 

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Find Affordable Dental Care in AZ 

The best way to save money on dental care is to stay on top of your preventative care visits, but even those services can be out of many people’s budgets. That’s why many plans offer preventative service coverage to varying degrees, so their policyholders can maintain good dental hygiene.

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