Best Dental Plans for Seniors in 2024

Plans and Pricing

The Cigna Dental Preventive Plan covers the cost of cleanings, fluoride applications, oral exams, X-rays, sealant, and non-orthodontic space maintainers. These are fully covered, twice per year. The Cigna Dental 1000 plan, conversely, maxes out at $1,000 per person annually and has a $50 and $150 deductible for individual and family plans, respectively. The average monthly premium starts at $33, but may vary based on location. In comparison, Cigna Dental 1500 is best for those who may need additional dental care such as orthodontia, and comes with an average monthly premium of $39.

» Budget-Friendly Options: 10 free and low cost dental care options for seniors

It’s important to note that the Cigna 5000/250 and Cigna 3000/150 plans stopped being offered to new customers on November 13, 2023, though customers who already had either plan before the cut-off date will see no change in their coverage. For older adults who want more coverage, Cigna still offers the 3000/100 plan, with average monthly premiums of $32 and maximum annual benefits up to $3,000. We like that Cigna gives older adults three ways to bundle dental and vision, with average premiums starting at just $32 per month for the Cigna Dental Vision 1000 plan.

Availability and In-Network Providers

With more than 89,000 dentists and over 300,000 provider locations nationwide, Cigna is a widely available dental insurance provider, though its network can’t compete with Mutual of Omaha. Seniors can also access emergency dental coverage while overseas. So, if you love traveling throughout the country, or have considered living abroad for an extended period, Cigna might be a great choice for affordable dental insurance coverage.

» Company Overview: Cigna and senior care coverage

Seniors seeking flexible dental insurance at great rates with global coverage should consider Cigna. With a PPO, you aren’t required to choose a primary dentist and have a large network of providers. Cigna also pays a portion of most services from out-of-network providers, making it convenient for older adults who like to hit the road.

Plans and Pricing

The company offers two dental plans, Mutual Dental Protection and Mutual Dental Preferred, as well as a vision rider and a dental savings plan. The least expensive dental plan starts at an estimated $29.27 per month, although costs will vary by location. You can choose from annual maximum benefits of up to $5,000 to customize the coverage to your needs. Regardless of the plan you choose, you can add vision coverage for roughly $8.28 per month, which is a few dollars cheaper than Aetna’s vision rider.

» Related Reading: Best vision insurance for seniors

Premiums and rider costs vary, however, and plans are not available in all 50 states. We researched plan quotes for Miami, Florida. The Mutual Dental Protection plan costs about $29.27 per month with a $100 calendar year deductible. It covers preventive services in full, 50% of basic services, and 20% of major services on day one (50% of major services after year one).

The Mutual Dental Preferred plan costs about $56.38 per month. It has no deductible for preventive services, but there's a $50 deductible for basic and major services. Its preventive and major services coverage is the same as the Protection plan, but the Preferred plan covers 80% of basic services compared to the Protection plan’s 50%. The costs are nearly double Spirit Dental’s premiums and deductibles, but they’re very similar to Aetna’s costs. There are other benefits to Mutual of Omaha coverage that help to justify the pricing, particularly the lack of a waiting period.

Availability and In-Network Providers

With more than 400,000 in-network dental providers, Mutual of Omaha is a popular choice for many older adults. Unlike Cigna, however, Mutual of Omaha isn’t available in all 50 states. As of 2024, Mutual of Omaha doesn’t offer any of its dental insurance plans in Alabama, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, or Wisconsin. Even if you live in a state in which Mutual of Omaha is licensed, there’s still no guarantee that a dental plan will be available to you. Fortunately, you can quickly check which (if any) plans are available in your area and even get a quote on the monthly premium by visiting the company’s website.

» Also Check Out: Mutual of Omaha Medigap plans review

Plans and Pricing

Premiums vary depending on your state of residence and current health condition. On average, the lowest premiums cost between $20 and $31, while upgraded plans average $45 to $70. We were quoted for plans in Miami, where the Aetna Dental Direct Preventive PPO plan costs about $29.26 per month. This plan has no deductible but only covers preventive care like cleanings and X-rays. We saw a substantial increase in premiums for the two plans that include basic and major coverage: Dental Direct Core PPO and Dental Direct Preferred PPO. The Core plan costs about $53.58 per month, while the Preferred plan costs about $62.16 per month.

Like the Cigna Dental 1000 plan, Aetna’s Core plan has a $50 deductible for individuals, a $150 deductible for families, and a maximum annual benefit of $1,000. The Preferred plan has the same deductibles, but the maximum benefit is $1,250. Both the Core and Preferred plans come with waiting periods of six months for basic services and 12 months for major services, which is not ideal for older adults who want to get the most out of their plan from day one. You may be able to have this waiting period waived if you’ve had a different dental insurance plan within 90 days of enrollment. That said, if you want to see benefits without the wait, Mutual of Omaha may be a better option.

Availability and In-Network Providers

Aetna boasts a nationwide network of more than 420,000 providers, which is far more than Cigna or Spirit Dental. As of 2024, Aetna has 9 million members enrolled in its Dental Direct plans. However, availability varies by location. You’ll need to check your zip code on Aetna’s website to see which plans are available in your state. Aetna’s Preventive plan, for example, is only available in Arizona, California, Florida, and Maine.

It’s also important to note that Aetna Vital Savings and CVS ExtraCare Plus are not available nationwide, either. Aetna Vital Savings is not available in Vermont or Montana. CVS ExtraCare Plus is even more limited, as it is unavailable in Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.

» Our Overview: Aetna dental plans for seniors

Plans and Pricing

Spirit Dental plans cover individuals, but the company also offers family plans for more comprehensive coverage. Rates for individuals depend on the plan you choose and your location, with average premiums ranging from $20 to $60 per month. We were quoted for prices in Miami, and the most affordable plan, Spirit Preventive Plus PPO, costs about $20.15 per month, with maximum annual benefits of $1,000 per person. It covers 100% of preventive care, and unlike Aetna’s preventive plan, it covers 50% of basic services and 20% of major services for the first year.

For more comprehensive coverage, Spirit Dental offers a wide range of options based on your needs. For example, the Spirit Core PPO includes coverage for child orthodontics and costs about $34.93 per month, while the Spirit Senior Preferred PPO includes implant and hearing coverage for about $44.51 per month — with up to $3,000 in maximum annual benefits per person. The most expensive plan, Spirit Pinnacle PPO, costs about $47.96 per month, includes child orthodontics and implants, and has an annual maximum benefit of $5,000. This means that Spirit Dental offers more variety and more competitive prices than widely known companies like Cigna and Aetna.

Availability and In-Network Providers

Spirit Dental is available in nearly all of the United States, with the exception of Washington State. This makes it a much more accessible option for many seniors than Mutual of Omaha. However, Spirit Dental only has 136,000 providers nationwide through the Ameritas Dental Network. This is far fewer providers than any other company on this list, which means that it could be more difficult to find an in-network dentist in your area.

Plans and Pricing

Humana offers numerous programs that are great for seniors on a budget, such as the Dental Savings Plus plan. It’s an affordable dental discount plan that is accepted by participating dentists, rather than a typical insurance plan. Customers pay a flat monthly rate of $6.99, and a $15 enrollment fee, with an average of $14 savings on copays for non-emergency office visits. A few of the plans have a $35 enrollment fee, and costs vary depending on your home state, age, smoking status, and the package you choose. Top options include Humana Bright Plus Veterans, Preventive Value, and Loyalty Plus. The latter has a one-time deductible rather than an annual one, making it the most comprehensive (and expensive) plan.

In addition to the Dental Savings Plus plan, Humana offers the Preventive Value plan with similar prices and coverage to the Cigna Dental Preventive Plan. In Florida, Preventive Value costs about $20.49 per month with no waiting period, while more comprehensive plans like Loyalty Plus and Complete Dental cost about $41.99 and $57.99, respectively. Loyalty Plus also doesn’t have any waiting periods, and the maximum annual benefits start at $1,000 and increase for the first three years — up to $1,500. Complete Dental offers even more coverage and higher initial benefits (starting at $1,250), but it comes with a six-month waiting period for basic services and a 12-month waiting period for major services.

Availability and In-Network Providers

With over 325,000 dental care providers in its nationwide network, finding care with Humana is a breeze online, via the mobile app, or by calling customer service. This puts it on par with Cigna, which also offers plans in all 50 states. However, plan availability and pricing can vary by location.

» Learn More: Humana and senior care coverage