Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?

It’s common for people to start shopping for dental insurance if they know they or another family member will be needing some sort of dental work in the future.

One of the most common questions around dental insurance is, will it cover braces? The answer, like most things in life, is yes and no.

Children – Yes (Typically)

Most states require dental insurance plans to cover children as it can help improve their quality of life and nutrition by having better teeth to eat with.

Even if the state doesn’t, most dental insurance plans include some type of orthodontic coverage for children.

However, it’s a little more complicated for adults since the procedure is mostly considered cosmetic.

Adults – No, Not Really

As noted above, braces for adults are largely considered cosmetic, so they’re typically not covered.

So, get ready to pony up around $5,000 on average – depending on how bad your teeth are.

Check To See If Clear Aligners Are Covered!

Ok, now that we’ve given you the good and bad news, there may be a small ray of hope for adults. While braces typically aren’t covered, there are some plans that will cover some of the costs of clear aligners like Invisalign.

What Does Dental Insurance Cost?

With our standard disclaimer that the cost of things depends on a number of factors, let’s take a look at some average costs for dental insurance.

For dental insurance, employee and group policies can range from $225 – $450 a year, on average.

If you don’t have access to a plan through an employer or other group, an individual dental insurance policy averages around $350 per year.

Regardless of what procedure you’re looking at or think you may have coming up, take the time to shop for the best plans and see what they cover. There are some excellent plans out there that will kick in immediately, and even help pay for more expensive cosmetic dentistry procedures like dental implants!