Delta Dental started out more than 50 years ago when a group of dentists and employers teamed up, growing from covering three states to all 50, plus Puerto Rico and US territories. It's now the best dental insurance company in the country with the biggest network of dentists - over 140,000 - that serve 78 million people.
Thanks to Delta Dental's huge size, there are a broad range of plan options that should leave something for everyone. The six options span individuals, families and employer options. This is your guide to everything you need to know about Delta Dental insurance.
Delta Dental Insurance review: Overview
- In-network savings over 20 percent
- Over 140,000 dentist network
Delta Dental, as one of the largest dental insurance providers, offers one of the broadest ranges of coverage. That's not just in terms of geographical nationwide coverage but also with the number of areas within each state. Thanks to over 140,000 dentists in the network it's likely most people will be able to find a dentist near to them. Physicians Mutual also has a huge network.
The value for family plans is excellent, with real savings to be made here. This is especially the case for preventative care like exams, cleanings and bitewing x-rays. There is also coverage for out of network dentists so you can use your own - but you may pay more for the privilege.
Another key feature is that procedures have a maximum price set that you pay, rather than reimbursing a percentage as some insurers do.
Delta Dental's website offers a host of useful information from access to a wellness site to Grin! e-magazine and more to keep you informed on how best to care for your dental health - potentially saving you money.
Online claims management and a useful app make this an easy to use system. The Preferred Provider Plan (PPO) offers discounts of over 20 percent when using an in-network dentist. But there are also lots of copay Dental HMO options too.
Delta Dental Insurance review: Cost
- Prices start at around $17 and go to about $170
- Six payment plans available
Coverage options: PPO and DHMO
Plans available: Six
Snapshot: In-network savings over 20 percent
Giving a strict price for Delta Dental is near impossible as not only are there six plans to pick from but also these vary by state. But a rough guide gives you a range from around $17 all the way up to about $170 per month. Of course this also varies widely depending on if you're going for a PPO or DHMO plan.
The average saving offered across a selection of plans is around 45 percent, making this one of the best priced large dental insurers out there. This value is even greater for family plans. For generous in-network savings, read our review of Guardian Direct Dental Insurance.
All dentists in the network agree to the Delta terms of fees so you can expect a set rate, meaning no surprises. Since compensation is clearly laid out you can easily budget for your needs ahead of time, surprises notwithstanding. To see how this compares to the average, read our feature how much much does dental insurance cost.
Delta Dental Insurance review: What's covered?
- Full mouth x-rays every two years on most plans
- Customizable policies
Delta Dental offers six payment plan options but most of these include preventative care, like exams, cleaning and two mouth x-rays per year as standard. Rates vary by state but the plans are also customizable meaning the rates can vary even more widely to suit your needs.
Depending on the plan you go for you could have everything covered even including major surgery. There are upper limits for plans though so be sure to check you're getting enough coverage based on what you're paying each month. For further information on coverage, take a look at our guide on what dental insurance covers.
To maintain the health of your teeth as much as possible between visits to your dentist, brush them twice daily with the best electric toothbrush, or brighten your smile with the best teeth whiteners.
Delta Dental Insurance review: Plans
- PPO and DHMO options
- Employer specific benefits
Delta Dental offers six plans in total that cross the PPO and DHMO options as well as appealing to individuals, families and employers. These break down like this:
- Delta Dental PPO: Individual access to the discounted network rates. This also has low out-of-pocket costs.
- Delta Dental PPO Plus Premier: Like the Delta Dental PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) but with discounted rates for out-of-network dentists.
- Delta Dental Premier: This is an indemnity plan. Individuals only pay copays and deductibles for services received.
- DeltaCare USA: Delta Dental’s HMO which focuses primarily on preventive services.
- Delta Dental Patient Direct: Patients choose a dentist from the Delta Dental network and pay the dentist their pre-negotiated, discounted fee.
- Delta Dental Individual and Family: Delta Dental offers the same group plans (generally only available to employers) to individuals and families.
Delta Dental Insurance review: User reviews
- ConsumerAffairs rating of 3
- BestCompany rating of 4.1
The Better Business Bureau is not affiliated with Delta Dental so the rating is not worth looking at (BBB always seems to give an F if someone isn't a member). But the customer disputes are worth noting as of the 92 in the last three years, 31 of those have been resolved in the last 12 months. These included issues with billings and collections and products or services but there were no complaints for guarantee issues.
ConsumerAffairs has a decent rating of three out of five which averages 383 reviews. When you consider people usually only comment when they're upset, this positive number is impressive. Positives include service, pricing and coverage while negatives were about fees being raised every two years and pricing being confusing.
BestCompany has a user review rating of 4.1 out of five stars based on 83 reviews. With negatives about the lack of availability for all services in all states. Positives include plan variety and optional vision coverage availability.
Humana is also highly rated for customer service, so we'd also recommend reading out Humana Dental Insurance review.
Should you buy Delta Dental Insurance?
The Delta Dental insurance service is the nation's largest, spanning all 50 states. It also offers one of the widest varieties of plan options with six in total. Options for both PPO and DHMO are available and these span individual, family and employers selections.
The online platform and resources are excellent with great app support for easy customization of plans. The inclusion of free x-rays every two years is a unique offering that could represent big savings for some people.
Customer reviews are largely good with plenty of praise for service, pricing and variety but the fact the options aren't the same in all states doesn't please everyone.
This could save you money while offering great security and flexibility for your dental care. Well worth a closer look.
