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Dental care costs per person in the U.S. have grown by 30% in the last 20 years,1 which can cause people to delay or forgo necessary treatments due to financial concerns. Luckily, there are ways to reduce out-of-pocket costs, including dental insurance and dental discount plans. Aflac offers a variety of affordable dental insurance plans for individuals, including primary dental insurance, supplemental dental insurance (additional coverage for expenses your primary plan doesn't cover), and Dental, Vision and Hearing (DVH) plans. Read on to learn about dental insurance vs. dental discount plans and how Aflac dental insurance can help you save money at the dentist.
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Dental insurance provides coverage for dental services in exchange for a monthly premium. Depending on the policy, you may have to pay a deductible or copayments for services before insurance kicks in, but insurance can typically save you out-of-pocket dental care costs.
Aflac offers primary dental insurance policies for individuals that you can purchase directly. These plans can help cover:
Primary dental insurance policies often have annual coverage limits, which is why some people also opt for supplemental dental insurance to help cover additional expenses. Aflac supplemental dental insurance for individuals pays cash benefits for costs that are not covered by primary insurance, helping you cover deductibles and copayments, use towards coverage limits or other unexpected expenses.
A dental discount plan, or dental savings plan, is an alternative to dental insurance that gives you access to reduced rates from participating dentists.2 In exchange for a membership fee, you can gain access to a network of dentists providing discounted prices for services ranging from basic cleanings to dental surgery. Unlike dental insurance, you’ll pay the full discounted cost out of pocket. While these plans don’t provide traditional coverage, they can still help lower your dental care costs.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Help cover yourself and your family with coverage from Aflac.
Get StartedHere are a few key differences between dental insurance and dental discount plans:
A DHMO plan for individuals can cost an estimated $14 per month, and an individual DPPO plan can cost around $35 per month.3 Meanwhile, dental discount plans typically have starting costs around $100 per year for individuals and $150 per year for families.2 While dental insurance can come at a higher cost, it can be well worth it for how much it could save you on preventative care, basic services, and major services.
Dental insurance typically involves billing the insurance company first for dental services provided, with the insurer covering part of the costs and you covering the rest through copays or coinsurance. With dental discount plans, on the other hand, you can pay the dentist directly at the time of service using the discounted rates.
While insurance plans often have annual coverage limits, after which you will have to pay for services out-of-pocket, dental savings plans typically do not have a limit.
A copay is the portion of costs that you pay out-of-pocket for covered services, while the insurer covers the rest.4 Dental insurance typically has copays for non-preventative services, splitting the cost between you and the insurer. Discount plans do not have copays, but that’s because you’re paying the entire cost of procedures out-of-pocket.
A deductible is the amount you must pay each year before your health insurance kicks in to start covering costs.4 You may have to pay a deductible before you’re eligible for copays, which you will have until you meet the annual coverage limit. Dental discount plans do not have annual deductibles, but they do have an annual membership fee.
Some insurers require you to wait a certain amount of time before allowing you to submit claims for coverage. Dental discount plans do not have waiting periods.
Dental discount plans and dental insurance can each be worthwhile, depending on an individual’s needs and budget. However, dental insurance may be an ideal option for lowering out-of-pocket costs on necessary procedures, whether you’re in good oral health or require more complex treatments.
You can also opt to carry both dental insurance and a dental discount plan. This may be especially worth it if you expect to need multiple major dental procedures or have significant dental costs that may exceed an annual coverage limit. While primary and supplemental insurance can offer coverage for the costs of several procedures, a dental discount plan can help you save on additional work.
Aflac can help you keep your smile in good shape with primary dental insurance for individuals and families that helps cover preventative care, basic services, and major services. You can also get supplemental dental insurance to help cover costs like your deductible, copays, and procedures that may exceed your annual coverage limit. Additionally, Aflac’s Dental, Vision and Hearing (DVH) Insurance plans provide a cost-effective way to get three types of coverage for a single monthly premium. To learn more about our coverage options, start chatting with an Aflac agent today.
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Having some type of cost-efficient dental plan, like the ones offered at Aflac, can help you avoid the high fees that may come from buying dental care without insurance.
Dental insurance can save you money on dental care. Learn how it works, what it covers, and how to get a dental insurance plan.
Having some type of cost-efficient dental plan, like the ones offered at Aflac, can help you avoid the high fees that may come from buying dental care without insurance.
Dental insurance can save you money on dental care. Learn how it works, what it covers, and how to get a dental insurance plan.
1 Forbes – Dental Facts and Statistics in 2025. Updated June 4, 2024. Accessed May 28, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/health/dental/dental-facts-statistics/.
2 HealthInsurance.org – What's the difference between dental insurance and dental discount plans? Updated January 15, 2024. Accessed May 28, 2025. https://www.healthinsurance.org/faqs/whats-the-difference-between-dental-insurance-and-dental-discount-plans/.
3 National Association of Dental Plans – Understanding Dental Benefits. Accessed May 28, 2025.https://www.nadp.org/about-dental-plans-care/understanding-dental-benefits.
4 Investopedia – Co-pay vs. Deductible: What’s the Difference? Updated September 16, 2024. Accessed May 28, 2025.https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/051415/what-difference-between-copay-and-deductible.asp.
Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.
Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
Dental: In Delaware, Policies A82100R–A82400R. In Idaho, Policies A82100RID–A82400RID. In Oklahoma, Policies A82100ROK–A82400ROK. In Virginia, Policies A82100RVA–A82400RVA.
Dental, Vision, and Hearing coverage is underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers. In California, Tier One Insurance Company does business as Tier One Life Insurance Company (NAIC 92908).
Dental, Vision and Hearing: In Delaware, Policy T80000. In Idaho, Policy T80000ID. In Oklahoma, Policy T80000OK. Dental claims are administered by SKYGEN USA, LLC. Vision claims are administered by EyeMed Vision Care, LLC. Hearing claims are administered by Nations Hearing. NOTICE: The coverage offered is not a qualified health plan (QHP) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is not required to satisfy essential health benefits mandates of the ACA. The coverage provides limited benefits.
Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to NJ, NM, NY, VA or VT. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations and exclusions.
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