Michigan Dental Insurance for 2023

Compare Plans and Buy the Best Value for your Dollar

If you’re a Michigander in need of dental insurance, this article will:

• Provide an overview of dental plan costs in the state
• Review limits on dental plan expenses
• Help you find plans offered in your area of Michigan
• Show you which plans on DentalInsurance.com are the bestsellers in Michigan

Michigan Dental Insurance Average Costs

A 2023 review of 29 Michigan dental plans (offered by eight different brand name dental insurers) found a wide range of costs and benefits covered. The average premium among the offerings in the study was $46.49. The least expensive option for a 33 year-old applicant in Saginaw was the Careington discount dental program known as the "500 Series Dental Savings." This plan, in contrast to traditional insurance, offered members-only price reductions ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent within the network of dentists associated with the plan. The monthly cost for this option was $8.95 and there was no annual limit on the amount of dental services used or the total amount of savings. The rest of the plans reviewed were more traditional  Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO dental plans) and an Indemnity dental plan. 27 of the 28 remaining plans were PPOs, with the least expensive charging a premium of $18.53 a month (Ameritas' Hollywood Smile Premier 1500) and the most expensive charging $87.99 a month (Humana Extend 5000). At $88.15 a month, the one indemnity dental plan reviewed (Nationwide Classic 2000 + VSP Premium) was more expensive than the most expensive PPO option. Indemnity coverage is a fee-for-service dental plan where the insurance company reimburses an enrollee for a portion of covered dental expenses according to a customary rate.

Several plans covered annual teeth cleanings with no out-of-pocket costs for this service within the very first year of enrollment. These plans included:

• MetLife TakeAlong Dental Medium PPO
• MetLife TakeAlong Dental High PPO
• Guardian Direct Advantage Starter PPO
• Guardian Direct Advantage Achiever PPO
• Guardian Direct Advantage Diamond PPO
• Humana Bright Plus PPO
• Humana Loyalty Plus PPO
• Humana Extend 2500
• Humana Extend 5000
• Ameritas Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 1500 PPO
• Ameritas Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 2000 PPO
• Ameritas Dallas Smile Plan PPO
• Renaissance Dental Plan III PPO
• Renaissance Dental Max Choice PPO
• Renaissance Dental Max Choice Plus PPO
• Nationwide Premier Select 1500
• NCD Nationwide 1500 Plan PPO
• NCD Nationwide 3000 Plan PPO
• NCD Nationwide 5000 Plan PPO
• Nationwide Select Plus 1500 + VSP Standard PPO
• Nationwide Select Plus 2000 + VSP Standard PPO

Annual Limits on Dental Care Expenses

PPO and indemnity plans have an annual limit on the amount the insurance company will pay for enrollee dental care. This limit is known as the "maximum benefit." When comparing the 25 Michigan PPO and indemnity plans belonging to our 2022 review, the average maximum benefit during the first year of enrollment was $2.088, a 31 percent increase from last year’s average of $1,588. Two plans tied for the most generous maximum benefit. Both the Humana Extend 5000 and the NCD Nationwide 5000 Plan PPO had a $5,000 annual cap.  Two plans were tied for the lowest limit ($500): Guardian Direct Advantage Starter PPO and Guardian Direct Advantage Core PPO. Some plans in the study increased their maximum benefits in the second and third year of continuous enrollment.

Finding Dental Plans in Your Area of Michigan

To compare dental insurance premiums in your region of Michigan, visit our home page. If you want to see which Michigan plans are most popular on DentalInsurance.com, see the below section.

Our Bestselling Dental Plans in the State of Michigan