Keep Arizona smiling

Most dental plans follow a simple pattern called the 100-80-50 rule: they cover 100% of preventive care, about 80% of basic procedures, and about 50% of major procedures. Preventive care — cleanings, exams, and X-rays — is usually fully covered, so you pay nothing; basic procedures like fillings and simple extractions are typically covered around 80% after any deductible; and major work like crowns, root canals, and dentures is often split roughly 50/50. Understanding this pattern makes plans easy to compare, and we'll match you to one whose coverage fits the care you actually expect.

Usually, yes — but it depends on the plan, so we confirm it before you enroll. With a dental PPO (DPPO) you can often keep seeing your current dentist at the best in-network rate, or out-of-network at a reduced benefit; with a DHMO you generally must use an in-network dentist. Just tell us who you see and we'll check which plans include them, so you're never surprised at the front desk.

A dental annual maximum is the most a plan will pay toward your care in a plan year — commonly somewhere in the range of $1,000 to $2,000, though it varies by plan. Once you hit that cap you pay the rest out of pocket until the plan year resets, but routine preventive visits usually don't count against it. If you expect significant dental work, we'll steer you toward a plan with a higher maximum so the coverage actually matches your needs.

A waiting period is a set amount of time — often several months to a year — that some dental plans require before they'll cover basic or major procedures. If you need care soon, that's a real problem, so we specifically look for plans with reduced or no waiting periods on the procedures you need. You don't have to decode the fine print yourself; we read it for you and flag any waiting period before you enroll.

Many dental plans include a separate orthodontia benefit, and some are designed specifically with children in mind. Orthodontic coverage typically works differently from regular dental — it often pays around half the cost up to a separate lifetime maximum rather than a yearly one, and some plans limit it to dependents under a certain age. If braces are on the horizon for your family, tell us and we'll point you to the plans with the strongest orthodontia coverage.

A dental PPO (DPPO) lets you see any dentist — with the best rates in-network, some out-of-network coverage, and no referrals — in exchange for a higher premium, while a dental HMO (DHMO) has lower premiums and set copays but keeps you in-network and often requires referrals. In short, a DPPO buys flexibility and a DHMO buys savings. We'll weigh the two against your budget and your preferred dentist to find the right fit.

You can absolutely buy dental insurance on its own — a standalone dental plan works whether or not you have health coverage through us, an employer, Medicare, or the Marketplace. Standalone dental (often bundled with vision) is popular with Medicare members, since Original Medicare doesn't include routine dental, and with families who want stronger dental benefits than their health plan provides. We can set up dental by itself or bundle it with your health coverage under one point of contact.

No — our dental guidance is completely free, because we're paid by the carriers rather than by you. You get a licensed local broker who checks whether your dentist is in-network, reads the fine print on waiting periods and maximums, and compares plans across many carriers — all at no cost and with no obligation.