In this article, we'll get straight to the point, and tell you about the best dental insurance for major dental work, reviewing our top five choices on the market today — Humana Extend 2500, Humana Extend 5000, NCD 3000, NCD 5000, and Anthem BlueCross Essential Choice Platinum.
We'll also cover the following information:
- Coverage details for each plan
- Alternatives to dental insurance
- The easiest way to find a dental plan right now
Keep reading to find the best dental insurance for major work — and the best plan for your budget and oral health needs as well.
— Or if you're pressed for time, have a look at the table below for a summary of the top plans.
Company | Monthly premium | Plan maximum | Deductible | Includes coverage for major work? | Find a plan |
Humana Extend 2500 | $61.99 | $2,500 | $75 | Yes | |
Humana Extend 5000 | $93.99 | $5,000 | $75 | Yes | |
NCD 3000 | $72.00 | $3,000 | $50 | Yes | |
NCD 5000 | $82.00 | $5,000 | $50 | Yes | |
Anthem Essential Choice Platinum | $48.20 | $2,000 | $50 | Yes | |
*Monthly premiums based on 30-year-old female in Ohio | |||||
Table of contents
5 best dental insurance plans for major work
Humana Extend 2500
This Humana Extend plan is for individuals looking to combine coverage for dental, hearing, and vision, and get the most out of their benefits for the cost. You get a nationwide network of providers, for preventive, basic, and major dental services.
Have a look at the details of this plan's major dental services coverage:
Root canals | Dentures | Implants | Crowns |
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Other specifics for this plan include:
- Deductible: $75 per person (waived for in-network preventive services)
- Waiting periods: Preventive — none, Basic — 90 days, Major — 12 months
- Plan maximum: $2,500 per insured person
- Coverage for cleanings: 100%
Get started finding your plan on dentalinsurance.com. This online marketplace makes it easy to search and compare the best plans in your area for major dental work. And once you find a plan you like, you can sign up right on the spot.
Humana Extend 5000
This plan is very similar to the Extend 2500 plan, except the benefits for major services increase after the 1st year, and the plan maximum is $5,000 instead of $2,500. This means that the monthly premium is also higher, but it may be worth it if you know you're going to need expensive and major restorative dental work.
Have a look at how the coverage details differ for major services from the 2500 plan:
Root canals | Dentures | Implants | Crowns |
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The other plan details include:
- Deductible: $75 per person (waived for in-network preventive services)
- Waiting periods: Preventive — none, Basic — 90 days, Major — 6 months
- Plan maximum: $5,000 per insured person
- Coverage for cleanings: 100%
Ready to find your plan? Search the user-friendly dentalinsurance.com online marketplace.
NCD 3000
NCD is underwritten by Nationwide, allowing you to benefit from a dental network that ranks in the top 10 for network size.
With the NCD 3000, you can choose any dentist you please, but you will save on your treatment costs if you choose an in-network dentist. As an added bonus, the waiting period, even for major services, can be waived if you can show that you've had prior coverage.
Take a look at some of the details of coverage for major dental work:
Root canals | Dentures | Implants | Crowns |
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Other important plan specifics include:
- Deductible: $50 per person/$150 per family
- Waiting periods: Preventive — none, Basic — 90 days, Major — 12 months (waived with proof of prior coverage)
- Plan maximum: $3,000 per insured person
- Coverage for cleanings: 100%
If those terms sound good to you, you can find your plan now on dentalinsurance.com.
NCD 5000
Just like the NCD 3000 plan, this plan gives you the freedom to choose the dentist you want, while offering a Maximum Care Network that ranks in the top 10 for network sizes.
The coverage for restorative dental services with this plan doesn't differ from that of the 3000 plan — the main difference is that the annual maximum is 5000 for this plan, making it better for more expensive dental procedures.
Here are the main details:
- Deductible: $50 per person/$150 per family
- Waiting periods: Preventive — none, Basic — 90 days, Major — 12 months (waived with proof of prior coverage)
- Plan maximum: $5,000 per insured person
- Coverage for cleanings: 100%
If you're ready to find your plan now, it's easy with dentalinsurance.com.
Anthem BlueCross Essential Choice Platinum
Get coverage for major dental services, plus a high annual maximum with the Anthem Essential Choice Platinum PPO, while still paying a relatively low monthly premium. This plan even includes coverage for orthodontics and teeth whitening — but let's have a look at coverage details for restorative dentistry services:
Root canals | Dentures | Implants | Crowns |
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And some more coverage specifics are:
- Deductible: $50 per person/$150 per family
- Waiting periods: Preventive — none, Basic — 3 months, Major — 6 months, Orthodontic — 12 months
- Plan maximum: $2,000 per insured person
- Coverage for cleanings: 100%
Find your plan now with dentalinsurance.com.
Alternatives ways to finance major dental work
Not everyone can afford dental insurance, and especially in cases when you need major restorative treatment, some plans just don't cover the expenses that you need them to. If you don't have insurance, you're not alone, — nearly 77 million American adults don't have it.
But, just because you don't have insurance, doesn't mean you can't have a plan to finance your dental work. Have a look at the table below for some popular dental financing options, like savings plans, dental tourism, and dental loans.
For more information on funding dental care without insurance, you can watch Dental Hygienist Whitney's video below, where she talks more about dental savings plans — one of the options mentioned in the table.
Conclusion
If you're looking for the best dental insurance for major dental work, you'll most likely want a plan with a high annual maximum, and coverage for treatment like implants, and dental insurance that covers root canals. You can also read about the best dental insurance that covers crowns with no waiting period.
These plans tend to have higher monthly premiums, but for expensive dental work, the increased monthly cost can be worth it.
If you need to finance expensive restorative dental treatment, make sure you can pay for it with an insurance plan from dentalinsurance.com.
FAQs
What dental insurance has the best coverage?
Lots of plans have pros and cons, but some of the best plans for full coverage treatment include the ones we mentioned in this article, like Humana, NCD, and Anthem.
What is the highest annual maximum on dental insurance?
The highest annual maximum on dental insurance seems to be around $5,000, as seen on plans offered by NCD and Humana. Most plans have maximums of around $1,000 or $1,500.
Does dental insurance cover implants in the US?
Yes, there are dental insurance plans that cover implants in the US. These plans have higher monthly premiums, and higher annual maximums, as well as coverage for major dental treatment.
CDC.gov: Regional Variation in Private Dental Coverage and Care Among Dentate Adults Aged 18-64 in the United States, 2014-2017. Consulted 12th December 2022.