Dental Insurance

How Dental Insurance Works with Covered California

Dental insurance comes with every health insurance plan, but only for children under 19. If you want dental insurance for yourself, you pick and pay for a separate plan. However, you can't enroll in a dental plan only – you must have a Covered California health insurance plan.

Two kinds of plans

Every dental plan is one of two types, whether it came with your health plan or you bought it.

A dental HMO (DHMO) covers care from dentists in its network only, except for emergencies. You need a referral to see a specialist. DHMO plans have no deductible and set prices for each service.

A dental PPO (DPPO) covers care from dentists in and out of its network, and you do not need a referral. DPPO plans usually have a deductible, and you pay a share of the bill rather than a set price.

Dental for children under 19

Dental insurance for children under 19 is included with every health insurance plan at no extra monthly cost. Each health insurance company works with one dental insurance company, so the health plan you pick determines your child's dental plan and which dentists they can see. You cannot choose a different dental company for your child without changing your health plan, unless you purchase a separate family dental plan.

Cleanings, exams and X-rays are free. You and the dental company share the cost of fillings, root canals and crowns, up to $350 for one child or $700 for two or more children. What you pay for your child’s fillings, root canals and crowns depends on their dental company. Call the number below for exact amounts.

Family dental plans you can buy

After you pick a health insurance plan in our Shop and Compare tool, we ask if you want to add one. You get to choose for yourself, regardless of your health insurance plan.

Financial help does not apply to dental plans, so you pay the full monthly cost.

Coverage limits vary by dental company. See how often family dental plans cover each service (PDF).

Adding children to a family dental plan

You can add children to a family dental plan even if they already have dental through their health plan. Parents often do this when their dentist is not in the network that came with the health plan. Your child keeps both, and the two plans work together to cover services.

Two rules apply when you add children:

• At least one adult age 19 or older has to enroll. Not every adult in the household has to enroll.
• If one child under 19 enrolls, all children under 19 in the household have to enroll.

Your monthly cost goes up with each person you add. You will see the total when you compare dental plans.