Dental plans with no waiting period for major services

Key takeaways:

Just because you sign up for dental insurance doesn’t mean your care is covered right away. In fact, most plans have a required waiting period before certain coverage kicks in.
Waiting periods typically (but not always) apply to basic and major dental work. Most plans have no waiting period for preventive care services.
It’s important that you choose carefully, as plans with no waiting period may have less coverage than other plans, or they may not cover certain types of dental care at all.
An insurance plan may waive your waiting period if you’ve had other dental insurance for the previous 12 months.

So you’ve decided to sign up for a dental insurance plan to supplement your health plan. You’ve likely already noticed that you have a lot of options, and even if you feel more than ready to sign up for a plan and catch up on your dental care, take a breath and do your research first. This is because many dental insurance plans have a waiting period.

Table of Contents Show

Key takeaways:
What is a dental plan waiting period?
Why dental plans have waiting periods
How to find the best dental insurance with no waiting period
Why an insurance company might waive your waiting period
How can I get around my dental waiting period?
What is the best full coverage dental insurance?
Does Aflac have a waiting period?
Is there a waiting period for fillings?

If you need dental work right away, it pays to choose a dental plan with no waiting period.

What is a dental plan waiting period?

A dental plan waiting period is a certain amount of time you must wait before you can receive coverage for some or all of the care your new plan covers. Waiting period durations can be anywhere from 30 days to over a year, and each will vary according to your individual plan.

The waiting period will often be shorter for basic services (like fillings and nonsurgical extractions), and longer for major services (like root canals, crowns or bridges). Most plans have no waiting period for preventive care. This type of care includes services like routine cleanings, exams, X-rays and fluoride treatments.

Why dental plans have waiting periods

Waiting periods prevent people from signing up for a plan, getting coverage for a necessary procedure and then dropping coverage. Insurance companies also claim that the waiting period provisions help keep premiums lower for everyone.

How to find the best dental insurance with no waiting period

Many insurance companies offer at least one dental plan with no waiting period. But you still must choose carefully, as some plans focus on preventive and basic care (like the Preventative Value and Bright Plus plans listed below) and don’t include any coverage at all for major services. Technically, that means you don’t have to wait to get major work if you need it, but the flip side is that since that care isn’t covered, you’re solely responsible for paying for it.

Humana dental insurance with no waiting period

As one of the largest insurers in the United States, Humana’s dental plans don’t disappoint, especially if you’re wanting dental care ASAP. Humana currently offers seven dental plans: one HMO, five PPOs and one discount plan (which technically isn’t insurance). Out of those plans, four have no waiting period:

Plan name	Plan type	Deductible	Annual maximum benefit	Routine cleanings and X-rays
Dental Value	HMO	None	None	100% covered (in network)
Preventative Value	PPO	$50 (lifetime)	None	100% covered (in network)
Loyalty Plus	PPO	$150 (one time)	$1,000-$1,500	Cleanings: 100% covered X-rays: 40%–70% covered
Dental Savings Plus	Discount	N/A	N/A	20%–40% discount

Humana’s three other dental insurance plans have no waiting period for preventive services, including routine cleanings, exams and X-rays. However, the waiting periods vary for other services:

Plan name

Plan type

Waiting period

Deductible

Annual maximum benefit

Routine cleanings and X-rays

Complete Dental

PPO

Preventive: None

Basic: 6 months

Major: 12 months

$0-$50

$1,250-$1,500

100% covered

Bright Plus

PPO

Preventive: None

Basic: 90 days

Major: Not covered

$150

$1,250

100% covered

Bright Plus for Veterans

PPO

Preventive: None

Basic: 90 days

Major: Not covered

$150

$1,250

100% covered

Spirit dental insurance with no waiting period

Spirit Dental is another company that offers a variety of plans with no waiting period for preventive, basic or major services. An additional benefit is that you can use any dentist you like, and the coverage will be the same. This means that there are no networks you need to worry about. Plus, some of the plans include orthodontics for children, which will save you money if you have a family. On the downside, the monthly premiums are pricey compared to other dental insurers.

Plan name	Premium	Deductible	Annual maximum	Preventive care	Basic care	Major care
Network 1200	$35.85	$100	$1,200	100%	Year 1: 50% Year 2: 65% Year 3: 80%	Year 1: 25% Year 2: 50% Year 3: 50%
Choice 1200	$54.29	$100	$1,200	100%	Year 1: 50% Year 2: 65% Year 3: 80%	Year 1: 25% Year 2: 50% Year 3: 50%
Network 3500	$51.07	$100	$3,500	100%	Year 1: 65% Year 2: 80% Year 3: 90%	Year 1: 10% Year 2: 50% Year 3: 65%
Choice 3500	$81.70	$100	$3,500	100%	Year 1: 65% Year 2: 80% Year 3: 90%	Year 1: 10% Year 2: 25% Year 3: 50%

Other dental insurance with no waiting period

While Humana and Spirit Dental probably have the most plans with no waiting period, you should still do your own research and compare companies. Here are a few other insurance companies that offer dental plans with no waiting period for preventive, basic or major dental work:

Insurance company

Plan name

Deductible

Annual maximum benefit

Preventive

care

Basic care

Major care

UnitedHealthcare

Premier Plus Dental

$50

$2,000

100%

Day 1: 35%

Year 1: 65%

Year 2: 80%

Day 1: 10%

Year 1: 40%

Year 2: 50%

UnitedHealthcare

Premier Choice Dental

$50

$1,500

100%

Day 1: 50%

Year 1: 65%

Year 2: 80%

Day 1: 10%

Year 1: 40%

Year 2: 50%

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Dental Blue PPO Preventive Plan

$0–$250

$5,000

100%

Plan covers at least 30%

Why an insurance company might waive your waiting period

If you already have dental coverage and are simply looking for a new plan, there may be good news. Some plans will waive waiting periods in certain situations. For example, Humana will waive the waiting period for its Complete Dental plan if you can provide proof of your having dental insurance for the previous 12 months.

You already know that preventive dental care is the best and most cost-effective way to keep your teeth healthy, but it’s also a fact that nearly everyone will need either basic or major dental work at some point. If you’re looking for a dental plan and already know you need work done, it makes the most financial sense to opt for a plan with no waiting period.

How can I get around my dental waiting period?

There are some instances where you might be able to waive a waiting period for a dental plan. If you had an employer-based policy with an insurer, but no longer work for that employer, that same insurer might waive a waiting period if you sign up for one of their stand-alone dental plans.

What is the best full coverage dental insurance?

But overall, the best dental insurance company is Cigna. Cigna has a broad network of more than 92,000 dentists available nationwide, and all of its dental insurance covers preventive care with no deductibles or copays.

Does Aflac have a waiting period?

Aflac will not pay benefits for an illness, disease, infection, or disorder that is diagnosed or treated by a Physician within the first 30 days after the Effective Date of coverage, unless the resulting Disability begins more than 30 days after the Effective Date of coverage.

Is there a waiting period for fillings?

Yes! As mentioned above, there are no waiting periods for either diagnostic services, such as x-rays, or preventive services, like cleanings. In most cases, major dental work, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures, has a waiting period of 6,12, or 24 months.