Find the Best Dental Insurance in Baltimore, MD

How to choose dental insurance in Baltimore

There are many benefits to having dental insurance in Baltimore. Here are just a few:

• Many plans cover preventive care 100 percent, so you won’t pay for regular checkups, cleanings or X-rays.
• Insurers contract with dentists to provide care at lower rates, which means you pay less.
• If you need services beyond preventive care, dental insurance reduces your share of the costs.

If you don’t have dental insurance in Baltimore through an employer or public benefits program, you can still purchase a stand-alone policy for an individual or family.

Types of dental plans

Dental insurance works similarly to health insurance in many ways. But it costs much less and, unlike medical coverage, there’s often a maximum annual benefit.

There are several kinds of dental insurance plans available in Baltimore: preferred provider organization (PPO), health maintenance organization (HMO) and indemnity. You can also choose a dental savings plan, which is different from insurance but saves you 10 to 60 percent on costs.

Type of plan	Features	Perks
PPO	Monthly premium; deductible; coverage of percentage of a service (preventive, basic, major)	Yes; in-network dentists charge lower rates; plan has partial benefits for out-of-network dentists
HMO	Monthly premium; copayment for each service	Yes; you must stay in network
Indemnity	Monthly premium; deductible; coverage of percentage of a service (preventive, basic, major)	No
Dental savings	Monthly or annual fee; discounts for services	Yes; savings are only available from participating dentists

Dental insurance companies in Baltimore usually divide dental services into classes or categories, which directly affects how much you pay for a dental visit. For example, you might hear coverage referred to as “100/80/50.” This means that preventive care is covered at 100 percent, basic care (e.g., fillings, emergency pain relief, simple extractions) at 80 percent and major care (e.g., root canals, crowns, oral surgery, dentures) at 50 percent. Coverage for basic and major care may only apply after you meet your policy deductible, usually around $50 for one person.

Dental insurance cost in Baltimore

The cost of dental insurance depends on your age, whether you use tobacco, the type of plan/level of coverage you select and if you are buying an individual or family policy.

For an individual policy, expect to spend between $20 and $55 per month. Premiums for a family of four start around $80.

Dental savings plans in Baltimore are cheaper. An individual plan starts around $100, and a family plan, $150. Recognize that with a dental savings plan, you are responsible for 100 percent of the costs of a dental visit.

Before signing up for a dental plan, make sure you have a complete understanding of the benefits, including any applicable exclusions or limitations. Be aware that many insurance policies have waiting periods for services other than preventive care. These can last as long as 12 months. Dental savings plans do not come with waiting periods.