:fill(white):max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Anthem-BCBS-logo-9cdbb09ef7c0479f9da47f36a495932b.jpg){kind=logo}
Elizabeth Rivelli is an insurance writer passionate about helping people navigate the complex world of insurance to help them make empowered choices.
Updated June 24, 2024 Fact checked by Fact checked by Bobby L. Hickman, FLMI CLUBobby L. Hickman is a longtime business and financial journalist who brings decades of experience in insurance and financial services to his editor role at Investopedia. He has worked with insurance and financial services companies, such as AFLAC, Allstate, Confederation Life, Farm Bureau, SunLife, and others. His editorial clients include the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Advisors magazine.
Our Take Anthem’s dental insurance plans offer fast, comprehensive access to coverage with shorter waiting periods and better premiums than many of its competitors. However, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield only operates in 14 states and the annual maximum coverage cap for its sample plan is a little less than some companies on our best dental insurers list. Still, Anthem was our overall top pick for the best dental insurance companies with no waiting period and appeared on our list of the best dental insurance companies for braces.
Anthem is a subsidiary of Elevance Health, one of the U.S.’s largest health insurers for medical membership. As of December 2023, Elevance served around 47 million medical members and 6,820 dental plan members. In the 14 states where it operates, Anthem is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association.
Anthem sells dental insurance in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
In most states, Anthem offers five PPO Essential Choice dental insurance policies. Each plan differs regarding the covered services, coinsurances, waiting periods, and annual maximum benefits.
Similar to Affordable Care Act (ACA)-type plans, Anthem categorizes PPOs coverages by using the names of various metal levels in most states.
Depending on where you live, plans may also be known by other names, such as Basic, Select, Classic, and Premier.
Anthem also sells a dental managed-care plan, but it’s not as widely available. Depending on your state, this dental health maintenance organization (DHMO or HMO) may be called Dental Net 3000D or Enhanced Care Plus Option D.
This plan features unlimited cleanings, no waiting periods for any coverage level, and no deductible for preventive and diagnostic services. The HMO plan also covers orthodontia for children and adults.
As with most health maintenance organizations, you must choose an in-network dentist to take advantage of the flat, affordable copays. Some cities and counties will have more in-network providers than others.
Anthem frequently allows you to bundle stand-alone dental insurance with vision coverage. In addition to individual and family dental insurance plans, Anthem also offers the following types of insurance:
Here’s how Anthem’s more broadly based PPO-based dental plans stack up.
| Plan Name | Preventive Care: Plan Pays | Basic Care: Plan Pays | Major Care: Plan Pays | Deductible | Annual Max. Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Choice Bronze | 100% | 50% after a three-month waiting period | Not covered | $50 | $1,000 |
| Essential Choice Silver | 100% | 50% after a three-month waiting period | 50% after a six-month waiting period | $50 | $1,000 |
| Essential Choice Gold | 100% | 80% after a three-month waiting period | 50% after a six-month waiting period | $50 | $1,500 |
| Essential Choice Platinum | 100% | 80% after a three-month waiting period | 50% after a six-month waiting period | $50 | $2,000 |
| Essential Choice Incentive | 100% | 60% with no waiting period; that increases to 80% by year three | 30% with no waiting period; increases to 50% by year three | $50 | $2,500 |
Anthem’s dental insurance premiums vary by state. For the Essential Choice PPO Silver plan, premiums range from $27.45 to $39.75 per month. Plans that provide more coverage and higher annual maximums have more expensive rates. The deductible for all Anthem PPO dental plans is $50 per person.
Below, you can see the monthly premium for Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Silver plan in the 10 most populated states where the company operates:
| Cost of Anthem Essential Choice PPO Silver Plan in 10 States | |
|---|---|
| State | Monthly Premium |
| California (ZIP code 90011) | $39.75 |
| New York (10001) | $33.75 |
| Ohio (43123) | $29.95 |
| Georgia (30349) | $32.20 |
| Virginia (22035) | $32.45 |
| Indiana (46229) | $31.95 |
| Missouri (63118) | $32.50 |
| Wisconsin (53215) | $37.15 |
| Colorado (80916) | $29.60 |
| Kentucky (40160) | $27.45 |
Anthem’s sample dental insurance plan is reasonably priced compared to some other insurers. For example, Delta Dental has a higher premium for its lowest-cost PPO covering preventive, basic, and major dental care. Physicians Mutual’s premium is lower, but it only covers care at a lower percentage (25% versus Anthem’s 50%), so you could be responsible for more out-of-pocket costs.
In terms of annual maximum benefits, Anthem’s plan has a lower cap than Delta Dental’s and Physicians Mutual’s.
| Company | Avg. Premium (Sample Plan) | Avg. Deductible (Sample Plan) | Avg. Annual Max Benefit (Sample Plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthem | $35.98 | $50 | $1,000 |
| Delta Dental | $53.58 | $50 | $2,000 |
| Physicians Mutual | $30.50 | $0 | Unlimited |
To get in touch with an Anthem dental insurance agent, call 1-833-959-1551 during business hours. You can also find state-specific contact information by visiting the online contact page and selecting your state. Anthem members can chat with a live agent through the online portal.
| Medium | Contact Info | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1-833-959-1551 | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET |
Anthem has good customer satisfaction overall. The company’s three-year average complaint index from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) indicated the insurer had slightly fewer complaints than expected for its size.
Anthem can be a good dental insurance provider if you want to use your dental benefits soon after you enroll. You can access basic care after a three-month waiting period and pay just 50% of the costs. The 50% coverage is fairly standard, but the three-month wait is shorter than many other plans. Major care is covered at 50% after only six months. Other insurers we reviewed offer less coverage for major care, and many have a longer waiting period (usually 12 months).
But because Anthem operates only in 14 states, it’s not an option for everyone shopping for dental insurance.
Dental insurance helps pay for procedures your plan describes as “covered.” That coverage typically includes annual cleanings and diagnostic exams. Dental insurance may cover also cover more complex care such as fillings, X-rays, crowns, root canals, and simple extractions. Most plans have cost-sharing, where your plan pays for a percentage of your treatment, and you pay the rest out of pocket. Many plans also require a deductible, which you must meet before your plan will start covering your dental care.
You can apply for an Anthem dental insurance plan online. Visit the website and enter your ZIP code to see dental insurance plans in your area. Once you select a plan, you can purchase coverage online. You can also apply for dental insurance by calling an Anthem agent at 1-833-959-1551.
There are 136,000 dental providers in Anthem’s dental insurance network, but with the PPO plans, you can see any dentist you choose—in most cases, the in-network and out-of-network amounts are reimbursed at the same rate. However, Anthem’s network is smaller than average compared to some of the largest dental insurance companies.
Anthem’s dental insurance can be worth it if you need major dental care, but perhaps not if you mostly need preventive care. The average annual premium for Anthem’s sample plan is $431.64 per year. This is more than you’d likely spend for two cleanings per year, even if you also had X-rays done.
But if you needed a porcelain crown, for instance, these costs could run between $1,213 and $2,200. Anthem’s sample plan covers 50% of major care after you pay a $50 deductible. Your plan could cover roughly $606 to $1100 for a crown, although these amounts could vary. In this case, Anthem’s dental insurance would save you money. If you use the insurance for additional procedures, you could save even more.
To cancel an Anthem dental insurance plan, you must contact an agent or submit your request to cancel in writing. Once your policy is canceled, you will be refunded for any unused premiums. You won’t be able to purchase a new Anthem dental insurance plan for at least 24 months.
To determine which dental insurance companies to review, we tapped into both market data and public sentiment. We used business and industry databases to get insights into market share, and user-generated data from Google to understand trends and public interest in stand-alone dental plans. This analysis narrowed our focus to 17 key companies offering dental coverage to individuals, regardless of whether their health insurance was purchased through state or federal marketplaces or independently.
We collected data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a standard-setting and regulatory support organization that maintains a database of customer complaints. We also gathered data directly from companies via websites, media contacts, and existing partnerships. The data collection process took place between Oct. 9, 2023, and Dec. 23, 2023.
We then developed a quantitative model that scored each dental insurance provider based on 35 criteria that fall into five major categories and are crucial in evaluating the company’s offerings and benefits. We weighted the five categories as follows for this article:
To learn more about our process for finding the best dental insurance companies, read our full methodology.
