MetLife as an insurance firm has been around since 1868, when it was founded in New York. It now serves over 100 million people in over 50 countries. The MetLife Dental Insurance features in our best dental insurance guide, and offers broad PPO and DHMO plan coverage ideal for families, retirees and government employees.
MetLife, which is also a health insurance company, is available nationwide, with lots of options to suit everyone. That network of dentists totals 90,000, which is a lot but not as much as some of the competition offers. Nonetheless there should be someone near to most people meaning they can save by using an in-network dentist. If you're stuck, read our guide to how to find a dentist.
MetLife Dental Insurance review: Overview
- In-network savings up to 45 percent
- Over 90,000 dentists
When it comes to how to find dental insurance online, MetLife is worth considering. Like others, it supports out of network dentists. While this won't be as cheap, it means you can keep your own dentist or use a more local one to make it more convenient for you. A nice touch is the ability to go out of network when traveling too.
Included orthodontics is a great feature that's particularly attractive to families. You can save up to 45% on network dental fees which span a massive 400 procedures and 90,000 dentists. This is the in-network saving but out of network is also supported. Expect the lower end of in-network savings to be around 15 percent.
MetLife dental PPO and DHMO options should help provide a service for most people's needs with lots of procedures and basic preventative dental care covered for free.
MetLife Dental Insurance review: Cost
- Prices start at around $32 and go to about $124
- Two payment plans available
Coverage options: PPO and DHMO
Plans available: Two
Snapshot: In-network savings up to 45 percent
Pricing will tend to vary by state but a rough guide shows a range from around $32 up to about $124. Since MetLife is one of the biggest insurance firms in the world you are less likely to have any claim turned down than you might be if you were to go with a smaller option.
The dental fees you can expect to pay are, on a community-average, between 15 and 45 percent lower, meaning you could make huge savings with this cover. There are also copay options for procedures like biopsies, where you might otherwise incur a large outlay.
There are defined fees for procedures requiring multiple services, like root canals, so you can get an accurate overall figure including materials - making budgeting easier with excellent peace of mind. Take a look at our feature on how much does dental insurance cost to see how MetLife compares to the average.
MetLife Dental Insurance review: What's covered?
- 400 procedures
- Exams, x-rays and cleanings
MetLife dental offers an impressive 400 procedures covered as part of its care plan. There will be a variation between the standard and high care plan options but this should be easy to choose based on your expectations of spending or, of course, what you want to be prepared for. We cover this more in our feature on what does dental insurance cover?
A rather special offering from MetLife is called TakeAlong Dental. This, as the name suggests, is a promise that you can take your dental cover with you as your life moves. While this is primarily referring to you moving home it also also applies to how your job can change too.
Don't forget that the better you take care of your teeth at home, the less often you'll need routine dental procedures. We'd recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, for two minutes each time, with the best electric toothbrush. For a brighter smile, look at the best teeth whiteners for use at home.
For preventive care cover, read our United Healthcare Golden Rule Dental Insurance review.
MetLife Dental Insurance review: Plans
- PPO and DHMO
- Two options
MetLife keeps it very simple with just two systems on offer in the form of PPO and DHMO. The later is only available in Florida, California and Texas. These two options fall into two plans: Standard and High.
The PPO option means you can pick a dentist from a nationwide list of in-network providers. These dentists then accept the payment as a paid in full option, meaning great rates.
The DHMO offering, though limited in location, means no annual maximums, no waiting periods and no claim forms. The catch is you may need to pay a small copay for certain services.
The Standard service covers 55 percent of intermediate, 35 percent of major and 50 percent of orthodontic treatments. The High plan gets you 70 percent of intermediate, 35 percent of major and 50 of orthodontic, making this more suited to those that have regular work done.
MetLife Dental Insurance review: User reviews
- 4.3 on BestCompany
- 1.2 on ConsumerAffairs
MetLife certainly has a broad range of mixed reviews online ranging from an impressive 4.3 out of five on BestCompany to a measly 1.2 out of five on ConsumerAffairs.
Positives include employer cover, reasonable copays and reliability for families. Complaints seem to focus on lack of payments where cover was allegedly not fairly dealt out.
For an oral coverage provider with high customer reviews, we'd recommend looking at our Humana Dental Insurance review.
Should I buy MetLife Dental Insurance?
MetLife dental insurance comes from a reassuringly large company meaning you won't need to worry about it going under with your money. A huge range of procedures covered should leave you in a good position and with the TakeAlong cover you can rely on that wherever you go in life.
Lots of preventative care is totally free under the plans and many larger procedures only cost a small copay when using the DHMO option. While DHMO is limited to a few states, the PPO plans are also excellent. Options are minimal keeping things simple but effective.
Low copays and included orthodontics make MetLife great for families and individuals alike. For another great provider, read our Delta Dental Insurance review, while Guardian Direct Dental Insurance offers good in-network savings.
