We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more . One of the downsides to many dental insurance policies? Waiting periods. For context: A waiting period is the amount of time the insured person must subscribe to a dental insurance policy before their benefits begin.Not to worry: there are dental insurance policies without waiting periods available—many of these plans are as affordable and comprehensive as the policies that have them. Dental insurance plans with no waiting periods share some common attributes with those that do. The best dental insurance for no waiting periods still manages to have affordable premiums while providing coverage right away. These plans cover things like cleanings and exams, fillings and other simple restorative work, and complex dental treatments—like bridges, crowns, and root canals—from day one of the insured’s coverage. Many dental insurance plans with no waiting periods also allow you to work in and out of network with a dentist of your choice. Here we rounded up the best options for you. Best Dental Insurance with No Waiting Period Best Dental Insurance with No Waiting Period Final Verdict Compare Providers How to Choose FAQs Methodology Key Specs Why We Chose It We chose Spirit Dental & Vision as the best overall because it has coverage for all dental care from day one and offers many plan options. Also, it has generous annual maximums, up to around $5,000, depending on the plan you choose. Pros No waiting periods for Preventative, Basic, or Major services Lifetime deductible of $100 for each member Preventative covered at 100% from first day of policy Cons Teeth already missing aren’t covered Coinsurance is low for year one on some policies All plans are not available in every state Spirit Dental & Vision is a nationwide provider that is offered by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. has been around since 1887 and has high ratings from both AM Best andStandard & Poor’s. You can buy a dental insurance plan with no waiting periods directly or through an employer. Policies are included for individuals, families, kids, and seniors. Spirit Dental is the best overall for a variety of reasons. With Spirit Dental, your coverage begins on day one of your effective policy date, and you have many plans and levels of coverage to choose from. You choose your dentist. Some other great features are the $100 lifetime deductible per person, preventive care coverage at 100% with three cleanings and two exams a year, and guaranteed acceptance. On most policies, the Basic and Major categories of care have increased coverage amounts for the first three years, with the annual maximum ranging from around $1,200 to $5,000, depending on your plan level. One thing to note is that Spirit does not cover prosthetics for missing teeth unless the prosthetic also covers a tooth lost while the subscriber is insured with them. In comparison, the premium rates vary based on where you live and other variables. An online search found that for a woman under 50 in CA, the range was roughly $44 to $108. Additionally, depending on your state you may find a waiting period with Orthodontia services. Key Specs Why We Chose It Anthem is the best dental insurance without waiting periods for braces because the Anthem Essential Choice PPO Incentive plan has no waiting periods for braces. The Incentive plan pays 50% coinsurance after a $150 deductible for up to $1,000 in orthodontic maximum for kids' braces from the first day of coverage. Pros Incentive plan provides 50% coinsurance after $150 deductible on kids’ braces day one $1,000 to $2,500 in annual maximum between six plans Will wave the waiting period with proof of previous coverage Cons Rates vary based on geography Most affordable policy doesn’t cover braces or other major services Since the 1940s, Indianapolis-based Anthem is one of the largest health benefits companies in the U.S. It offers numerous health plans and specialty plans to 32 million subscribers. AM Best gives it a stellar rating for financial strength and for long-term issuer credit rating. The has also won numerous awards, including a place on Fortune’s the World’s Most Admired Companies. Anthem is available direct and through employers. Anthem is the best dental insurance for no waiting periods for braces because one of their plans, the Anthem Essential Incentive plan, covers children's braces on day one for up to $1,000 per year at a 50% coinsurance rate after $150 deductible. The Anthem Essential Choice Platinum also covers braces after a six-month waiting period. While it doesn't cover braces, Anthem Dental Net 3000 also had no waiting periods for almost 500 covered procedures with no deductible or annual maximums. The range of rates for a woman in California under 50 is about $16 to $61 a month, and the Incentive plan is roughly $58. Key Specs Why We Chose It We chose Physicians Mutual as the best dental insurance with no waiting periods for seniors because it covers preventative immediately and basic coverage after three months. At 12 months, you have 350 procedures covered, with no annual maximums and no deductibles. Pros No waiting period for preventive care No annual maximums or deductibles 500,000 in-network providers Covers over 350 procedures Cons Three-month waiting period for Basic coverage 12-month waiting period for Major coverage No senior discount Physicians Mutual has been around since 1902 and is based in Omaha, NE. It offers dental insurance to individuals and families, as well as life and health insurance. Per their website, AM Best gives Physician’s Mutual top ratings for financial strength. Physicians Mutual has three excellent plans for seniors who need dental insurance with no waiting periods. It immediately covers preventive care and basic care just three months later. One drawback is there is a 12-month waiting period for Major care. However, once that is met, the three plans cover 350 dental procedures. Also, the programs have no annual maximums or deductibles associated with the benefits. The premium rates are affordable for seniors. For example, the range of premiums is about $30 to $47 each month in California. Moreover, Physicians Mutual's nationwide network makes it easy for seniors to find a dentist nearby. Key Specs Why We Chose It We went with UnitedHealthcare because it has a variety of insurance plans with no waiting periods for preventive care and basic plans. Except the premier max dental plan,which has a 4 month waiting period for basic services. Also, the high-end plans have generous coverage maximums at a reasonable premium per month. Pros No waiting period for Basic care for all plans except the Premier Max Dental plan No waiting period for Preventative care covered at 100% Shorter waiting periods on group health plans Cons Some of the plans only cover Basic care at 35% on day one Plan availability varies by state UnitedHealthcare is a prominent nationwide brand for insurance with a top rating from AM Best. It insures almost 40 million people nationwide and is underwritten by the Golden Rule Insurance Company.The company has a robust network of providers of roughly 1.3 million. UnitedHealthcare's dental plans are available in most states through employers and direct, but the plan features may vary based on where you live. With the exception of a waiting period for basic care on the Premier Max dental plan, there are no waiting periods on Basic and Preventive care, generous annual maximums on the higher levels, and shorter, three-month waiting periods for group health plans. In addition, several plans cover preventive at 100%. There are also no age restrictions on coverage. Moreover, the premiums are lower than we expected. For example, the monthly premium for a woman under 50 in California ranges from $31 to $73, depending on the plan. Key Specs Why We Chose It We chose Humana because you are covered on your first effective date. Also, as you subscribe longer, you get more coverage for root canals up to 50%. Pros No waiting periods on most plans Substantial nationwide network of 270,000+ providers Root canals covered on day one for the Loyalty Plus Plans Cons Not all plans cover major services like root canals First year coverage on root canals is only 20% Headquartered in Louisville, KY, Humana was founded in 1961. It's a large, well-known brand for insurance with a wide range of insurance products and a substantial nationwide presence. It also has top ratings from AM Best.Policies are available direct and through employer groups. We like Humana's dental plans with no waiting periods for the best for root canals category because their Loyalty Plus PPO has no waiting periods and covers root canals at 20% on day one. That coverage increases over the next three years until it reaches 50%. Also, waiting periods might be waived on Basic and Major care for the other plans they have available if the new subscriber shows similar dental coverage for the previous 12 months. In addition, you can choose any dentist. However, you get more discounts if you choose an in-network dentist. One thing to bear in mind is the Loyalty Plus PPO also has a higher lifetime deductible of about $150 for an individual and roughly $450 for a family. The rates for a woman under 50 in California range from around $27 to $60. Key Specs Why We Chose It We chose MetLife TakeAlong Dental because the premiums are reasonable: Preventive, Basic, and Major coverage are the same as other providers. Pros No waiting periods on Preventive care High Plan offers $2,000 in annual maximums per subscriber Has generous benefits for routine dental care and comprehensive services Cons Waiting periods on Basic and Major care services Deductibles on Low plan are higher at $75 and $225 MetLife has been providing insurance products since 1868. Underwritten by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York, MetLife provides benefits to tens of millions of people. MetLife also has high ratings from AM Best and is available in 50 states and the District of Columbia. It offers benefits through employers and direct to individuals. The MetLife TakeAlong Dental plans give you 100% coverage for Preventive care from day one and six months for Basic care. Like PPO plans, you can pick your dentist; the coverage is the same in and out of network. The higher the plan level, the more coverage you have for Basic and Major care. The highest level plan has a lower deductible than the standard option. Plus, you can keep your children on the benefits until they turn 26. Perhaps best of all, the premiums are competitive. The rates for an individual under 50 in California come in atabout $20, $44, and $52 per month, and $70, $128, and $159 per family. You can get an excellent dental insurance plan without waiting periods. Some are less expensive month to month, like MetLife’s TakeAlong Dental, but do not cover as much as the insurance programs with higher monthly premiums, like the ones provided by UnitedHealthcare.Some of the best dental insurance for no waiting period is not the least expensive but has a great benefit (e.g., Anthem for braces or Physicians Mutual for seniors). However, the overall best dental insurance for no waiting periods in 2023 is Spirit Dental. Spirit Dental has reasonable rates, excellent coverage benefits, and no waiting periods for any category of care. Moreover, it has a lifetime deductible of only $100 and preventative care is covered at 100% from day one of coverage. It also has generous annual maximums that go up to $5,000 per subscriber. There are several other critical considerations that you should use to comparison shop dental insurance with no waiting period. Here are a few of the most essential ones: It depends on the policy. The ones we have identified in our list have at least one policy that often does cover everything with no waiting period. However, even with these policies, you will see in the details that the coverage increases the longer you subscribe, often over three years. When you areshopping for dental insurance policieswith no waiting period, you'll find that most plans do not have waiting periods oncleaningsandexams, but they do for fillings, crowns, or braces. That's because dental insurance divides care into three service categories: Preventive, Basic, and Major. Here’s a rundown on those different categories: We also advise you to look at the details on the policy in the fine print when comparing coverages and waiting periods. Most dental insurance companies will not waive the waiting period if the coverage of the policy the new subscriber is moving into is not very similar to the policy they had before. If your policy has this waiver and you think you might qualify, be sure to talk with the plan administrator or dental insurance company representative to determine how to take advantage of it. For many of the policies we identified in this category, anyone is eligible. However, there are sometimes waiting periods that are determined by your employer. Also, some policies have a pre-existing condition exclusion period. It depends on the category of care you seek. For example, it is not more costly to get preventive care, as dental insurance policies with no waiting period usually provide these and pay 100%. However, if you have Basic or Major care needs, you might pay more in the first year or two than you would by year three. That is because many policies will increase coverage the longer you subscribe. For example, many UnitedHealthcare plans pay a smaller percentage on day one of coverage than they do a year later. We looked at many variables when comparing the dental insurance policies with no waiting period. We started by choosing plans that had no waiting period in their policy description. Then we reviewed the number of programs available without a waiting period, the network size of the company, the number of states where it's available, the annual maximums, and deductibles. We also compared coverage and the rates quoted to determine the best one. Lastly, we looked at the company's ratings from unbiased sources.Also note: It is essential to investigate the policy stipulations for where you live. Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. S&P Global. Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. AM Best. "AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and Its Subsidiary." AM Best. “AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Elevance Health, Inc. and Its Subsidiaries.” Fortune. "World's Most Admired Companies." Physicians Mutual. "About Us." AM Best. "Physicians Mutual." AM Best. "AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and its Subsidiaries." Humana. "About Humana." AM Best. "AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Humana Inc. and its Health Insurance Subsidiaries". Metlife. "History of Metlife." AM Best. "AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of MetLife, Inc. and its Life/Health Subsidiaries." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback?Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024
Best Overall : Spirit Dental & Vision
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/SpiritDental-6c12485de01e49fe98d7940cadabd8c6.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (1)")
Best for Braces : Anthem
Best for Seniors : Physicians Mutual
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/PhysiciansMutual-9c7648ac4c5b46978eb3c2ea76134920.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (3)")
Best for Basic Coverage : UnitedHealthcare
Best for Root Canals : Humana
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/humana-3942eaceff76434da09201fd79679019.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (5)")
Best Budget : MetLife TakeAlong Dental
Final Verdict
Compare the Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Periods
Company Plans Providers In-Network (#) Coverage Limit Deductible Spirit Dental
Best OverallPlans are based on zip code 111,500 $1,200 to $5,000 $100 lifetime deductible per person Anthem
Best for Braces6 133,000 $1,000 for braces $50 individual; $150 family Physician’s Mutual
Best for Seniors3 500,000+ None None United Healthcare
Best for Basic CoveragePlans are based on zip code and coverage 1.3 million $1,000 to $3,000 $50 individual; $150 family Humana
Best for Root Canals5 270,000 $1,000 to $1,500 $50 individual; $150 family MetLife TakeAlong Dental
Best Budget2 146,000 $750 to $2,500 From $25-$75 individual; $75-$225 family, depending on your plan How to Choose the Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Dental Insurance Plans With No Waiting Period Cover Everything?
Who is Eligible for Dental Insurance With No Waiting Period?
Is It More Expensive to Use Dental Insurance with No Waiting Period?
How We Chose the Best Dental Insurance With No Waiting Period
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BestDentalInsuranceforNoWaitingPeriod-e2d015b5a487492b81b451e6369893de.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (7)")
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/AnthemEssentialChoicePPOIncentive-326500a394f5400d9cc5f11e91a98ab7.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (2)")
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/united-healthcare-6b8b4e57956841e8b3189b86f492ecad.jpg "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (4)")
:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/metlife-b4d506b792d14b0fbbfa7f87f6bb5550.png "Best Dental Insurance for No Waiting Period of 2024 (6)")
