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Dental Savings Plan vs Insurance Calculator

Compare a dental insurance plan with a discount (savings) plan on your own treatment list. See your total for the year under each, the break-even point, and why one wins: waiting periods and the annual maximum often decide it.

Example plans and example prices shown. Enter the numbers from each plan and your dentist.
Dental insurance
$/ month

Example: NADP's national average for an individual dental PPO, $41.76 a month.

$
What the plan pays, by class
%
%
%

100 / 80 / 50 is the ADA's typical PPO design. Use your plan's numbers.

$

Leave blank if there's none.

%

Network dentists may charge plan members a lower agreed fee. Ask for both prices; 100% if you don't know.

Waiting periods
mo
mo
mo

Months from the day you join before the plan pays for that class. 0 means none.

Dental savings plan
$/ year

Example: $10 a month. NADP says individual fees range from a few dollars to $10–12 a month.

Discount off the dentist's regular fee
%
%
%
%
%

Plans list their own discounts, which vary by dentist and treatment. The examples sit inside the 20–60% range NADP reports. The FTC warns that savings are often less than promised, so check the real fee schedule.

Cheaper for this treatment plan

This year

–

Insurance$0
Savings plan$0
No plan$0

Your total for the year: premiums or fee, plus what you pay the dentist.

Why

    Break-even

    A savings plan isn't insurance. It pays nothing toward your care; you pay the discounted fee yourself (FTC, NADP). Before you join, call your dentist to confirm they take the plan, and get the plan's details in writing.

    Your treatment this year

    Enter your dentist's regular price for each item and the month you expect it, counting from the month you'd join. The example prices are only examples, not averages.

      Braces and aligners aren't listed: insurance usually pays them under a separate lifetime maximum. See the Dental Insurance Calculator.

      What you pay for each treatment under each option
      TreatmentRegular priceWith insuranceWith savings plan

      What if your dental bills were higher or lower?

      Same mix of treatments and timing, scaled up or down. Totals include premiums or the plan fee.

      Yearly totals at different levels of dental spending
      Dentist's feesInsuranceSavings planNo planCheapest

      Savings plan or insurance: which costs less?

      It depends on how much care you need, when you need it, and the fine print of each plan. Three things usually decide it:

      • Waiting periods. If you need a crown or root canal in the first months, an insurance waiting period can mean the plan pays nothing for it. That's what happens in the example above, and it's why the savings plan wins there.
      • The annual maximum. Insurance stops paying once it reaches its yearly limit. Above that point, every extra dollar of treatment costs you full price, while a discount keeps working.
      • How much care you need. With very little care, a low plan fee beats a year of premiums. With moderate bills after any waiting period, insurance often comes out ahead.

      The calculator runs both plans on your own treatment list. Then it scales the list up and down to find where they cross.

      How a dental savings plan works

      A dental savings plan, also called a discount plan, is not insurance. NADP describes it as a program in which a panel of dentists agrees to treat members at a discounted fee. The plan makes no payment to the dentist. You pay the discounted fee yourself, and there are no claim forms to file (ADA).

      • You pay a yearly or monthly fee. NADP says individual fees range from a few dollars a month to $10–12 a month, or $20–30 a month for a family.
      • You get a discount at participating dentists only. Providers don't have to accept a discount plan, so not all of them do (California Department of Insurance).
      • There's usually no deductible or annual limit (ADA MouthHealthy). Your discount depends on the plan's terms.
      • The discount varies. NADP has reported discounts ranging from 20 to 60 percent. The FTC warns that savings with discount plans are typically a lot less than promised.

      Discount plans are a small part of the market: 4% of dental benefits in 2022, according to the ADA.

      How dental insurance works

      With insurance, you pay a premium every month. NADP estimates the national average for an individual dental PPO at $41.76 a month, and $15.14 for an individual DHMO. Then the plan pays part of each bill:

      1. Deductible first. You pay a set amount each year before the plan pays. It's often waived for checkups.
      2. Coinsurance by class. The ADA's typical PPO design pays 100% for preventive care, 80% for basic care like fillings, and 50% for major care like crowns.
      3. Annual maximum. A common annual maximum is $1,000 or $1,500 (ADA). About 65% of dental PPOs have a maximum of $1,500 or more (NADP).
      4. Waiting periods. Separate dental plans can have waiting periods before they cover services for adults (HealthCare.gov). Covered California's adult PPO, for example, makes adults wait six months, which may be shortened or waived with proof of past coverage. New York removed waiting periods for most adult services on its marketplace dental plans from 2025.

      For a detailed, item-by-item estimate with frequency limits and downgrades, use the Dental Insurance Calculator.

      How this tool works

      The tool compares one plan year, starting the month you'd join.

      Insurance. It counts your treatments in month order. For each one, it checks the waiting period for its class. If the treatment falls inside it, the plan pays nothing. Otherwise the deductible comes off first, then the plan pays its percentage, until the annual maximum runs out. Your total is 12 months of premiums plus everything the plan didn't pay. If you enter an in-network price below 100%, the insurance math uses that lower fee.

      Savings plan. Your total is the yearly fee plus each regular price minus the plan's discount for that type of care. The discount applies from month 1.

      No plan. The regular prices, added up.

      Break-even. The tool multiplies every price on your list by the same factor, keeping the same mix and timing. It looks for the spending levels where insurance and the savings plan cost the same, up to at least $30,000 a year. It also shows when each plan pays for itself compared with paying full price.

      Limits to keep in mind:

      • One year only. Waiting periods matter most in your first year; in later years insurance may look better.
      • Frequency limits, downgrades and missing-tooth clauses aren't modeled here. The Dental Insurance Calculator handles them.
      • Braces and aligners are left out, because insurance usually pays them under a separate lifetime maximum.
      • Real discount plans use a fee schedule for each procedure. A single percentage per type of care is an approximation, so check the plan's actual fees.
      • If your employer pays part of the premium, enter only the part you pay.

      Before you join a savings plan

      The FTC and state insurance regulators suggest these checks:

      • Call your dentist, and others on the plan's list, to confirm they take the plan before you pay any fees (FTC).
      • Get the details in writing, including the fee schedule, before you sign up (FTC).
      • Ask your state insurance department whether the plan is licensed or registered (FTC). Washington requires discount plan organizations to be licensed. Texas requires them to register.
      • Look for a clear refund and cancellation policy (NAIC). Some states set one by law: in Florida, members who cancel within the first 30 days get their periodic charges back.

      Before you buy dental insurance

      • Ask for the waiting period for each class, and whether proof of past coverage can shorten it.
      • Check the annual maximum and the deductible, and what counts toward each.
      • Look up which dentists are in network, and what they charge plan members.
      • Read the exclusions. ADA MouthHealthy notes that some plans exclude cosmetic work and, in some cases, dental implants.

      Planning bigger work, like replacing a missing tooth? The Tooth Replacement Cost Comparison estimates the cost of an implant, a bridge or a partial denture over 10 to 30 years. To spread a large bill, the Dental Payment Calculator compares financing offers.

      Frequently asked questions

      Is a dental savings plan the same as dental insurance?
      No. A savings (discount) plan pays nothing toward your care. You pay a membership fee, then pay participating dentists a discounted fee yourself (NADP, ADA). The FTC and state insurance regulators such as the Texas Department of Insurance say discount plans are not insurance.
      How much does a dental savings plan cost?
      NADP says individual plan fees range from a few dollars a month to $10–12 a month, or $20–30 a month for a family. Discounts vary by plan and treatment. NADP has reported discounts of 20 to 60 percent, but the FTC warns that savings with discount plans are often less than promised.
      When is a savings plan better than insurance?
      Often when you need major work soon and an insurance waiting period would block it, when your bills would blow past the annual maximum, or when you only need a little care. Insurance tends to come out ahead for moderate bills once waiting periods are over. The calculator above finds the break-even point for your own list.
      Do dental savings plans have deductibles or annual maximums?
      Usually not. ADA MouthHealthy says discount plans usually have no deductibles or annual limits. Insurance usually does: about 65% of dental PPOs have an annual maximum of $1,500 or more (NADP). Read each plan's own terms, including any start date for discounts.
      Can I cancel a dental discount plan and get a refund?
      It depends on your state and the plan. In Florida, for example, a member who cancels within the first 30 days gets the periodic charges back (Florida Statutes 636.208). The NAIC advises checking for a clear refund and cancellation policy before you buy.
      How do I check that a discount plan is legitimate?
      Call your dentist to confirm they accept it, get the plan's details in writing, and ask your state insurance department whether the plan is licensed (FTC). Washington, for example, requires discount plan organizations to be licensed, and Texas requires them to register.

      Sources

      1. Federal Trade Commission (Consumer Advice). Spot Health Insurance Scams. May 2021. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      2. Federal Trade Commission (Consumer Alerts). Is it health insurance or a medical discount plan?. June 18, 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      3. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Be Careful When Purchasing a Discount Health Card. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      4. Texas Department of Insurance. Discount health care programs. updated November 18, 2022. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      5. California Department of Insurance. Health Plan Definitions. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      6. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Discount plan organizations. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      7. The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 636.208: Fees; charges; reimbursement. 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      8. National Association of Dental Plans. Understanding Dental Benefits. Average individual premiums ($15.14 a month for a DHMO, $41.76 for a DPPO, from NADP's 2024 premium report), discount plan fees, and the share of PPOs with a $1,500+ maximum. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      9. National Association of Dental Plans. Glossary of Dental Insurance Terms. 2019. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      10. National Association of Dental Plans. No dental insurance? Discount plans can provide savings. March 14, 2019. Reports discounts ranging from 20 to 60 percent. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      11. American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Types of Dental Plans. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      12. American Dental Association. Types of Dental Plans. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      13. American Dental Association. Dental Benefits: An Introduction. 2024. Discount plans were 4% of the dental benefits market in 2022; a common annual maximum is $1,000 or $1,500. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      14. American Dental Association. Dental Benefits: An Introduction (Introduction to Dental Benefits). 2024. Typical PPO design: 100% preventive, 80% basic, 50% major, $50 deductible, $1,500 annual maximum. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      15. HealthCare.gov. Dental Coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Accessed October 26, 2026.
      16. Covered California. Dental Insurance | Covered California (PPO dental details). Accessed October 26, 2026.
      17. New York State Department of Financial Services. New York State Department of Health, NY State of Health, Department of Financial Services Announce Improvements to Stand-Alone Dental Plans Offered Through NY State of Health. April 4, 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.

      Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.

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