Having affordable dental insurance is essential for maintaining good oral health. With the rising cost of medical care, it can be difficult to find coverage that fits into your budget. Fortunately, several affordable dental insurance options are available for individuals, families, and businesses. From employer-sponsored plans to individual policies, OHIP and discount dental plans offer varying degrees of affordable coverage for preventive care, such as regular checkups and cleanings, as well as more extensive procedures like root canals or braces. This article will explore the different types of affordable dental insurance options available, so you can make an informed decision when selecting a plan that best meets your needs.

Where can I find affordable dental insurance?

Right here on the HealthQuotes website! We offer a wide range of group, individual and travel benefits from leading Canadian insurance companies and have been meeting the demands of a diversified community for several decades.

You can use our instant quoting tool to get the level of dental coverage that you want. Choose from the different options so that you pay exactly what you want to be paying.

Two of the most popular affordable dental plans

Manulife Flexcare DentalPlus Basic

The Manulife product suite is one of the most popular plans available. This is because you can completely customize the level of coverage you want. If you want everything, just dental or just prescription. There is a flexcare plan for you.

DentalPlus Basic plan may be right for you if you want to cover your regular dental check-ups and routine dental work, and don’t need to cover prescription drugs.

Coverage for dental includes:

• Year 1: 50% of first $1,150 (up to $575 every year)
• Year 2+: 80% of first $400 and 50% of next $860 (up to $750 every year)
• Check-ups every 9 months

Manulife Flexcare DentalPlus Enhanced

DentalPlus Enhanced Plan may be right for you if you want to cover routine and more extensive dental work, including root canals, and don’t need to cover prescription drugs.

Coverage for dental includes:

• Year 1: 70% of first $1,200 (up to $840 every year)
• Year 2+: 100% of first $500 and 60% of next $700 (up to $920 every year)
• Check-ups every 6 months

What’s the same for both plans

The only real difference between the two plans mentioned is the dental coverage. Everything else is the same and is as follows.

Vision:

• $250 every 2 years
• Optometrist fees up to $70 every 2 years

Registered specialists and therapists

• Acupuncturist – $25/visit x 20 visits
• Chiropractor – $25/visit x 20 visits plus $35 for chiropractic x-ray
• Naturopath – $25/visit x 20 visits
• Physiotherapist – up to $250
• Psychologist/Psychotherapist/Clinical Counsellor (combined) – $80/first visit or $65/subsequent visit x 10 visits
• Registered Massage Therapist – $25/visit x 20 visits
• Speech Pathologist/Therapist (combined) – $65/first visit or $45/subsequent visit x 10 visits

More extended healthcare

• Orthotics (custom-made) – $225
• Hearing aids (purchase or repair) – $400 every 4 years
• Homecare and nursing – $1,000 in year 1; $1,300 in year 2; $1,500 in year 3; $1,700 in year 4; $3,000 in year 5+
• Durable medical equipment (e.g., wheelchairs, ventilators and lifts) – $1,000 in year 1; $1,300 in year 2; $1,500 in year 3; $1,700 in year 4; $3,000 in year 5+
• Ambulance (air or ground) – unlimited
• Accidental dental – $2,000 maximum per person, per anniversary year

Travel

• $5 million in emergency health coverage for first 9 days of each trip
• $100 deductible per claim

Employer-sponsored affordable dental insurance plans

If you don’t have individual health insurance, the next place you should look is your benefits. What kind of plans and coverage does your employer have available to you? Does your spouse have benefits that you can use? This is an affordable alternative that you should consider.

Federal Dental Benefits Plan

Last year the federal government announced plans to create the Canadian Dental Care Plan. This plan would provide dental care coverage for households with an annual income of less than $90,000.

The coverage will first only be for kids under the age of 21 from uninsured low and middle-income families. It will then progress to include under 18-year-olds, seniors, and people with disabilities in 2023.

Does OHIP cover dental care?

No. Generally, OHIP does not cover any dental care. However, some dental surgeries need to be performed in a hospital because they are complex and/or the patient has another medical condition. In which case, OHIP would cover it. For example, OHIP would cover fracture repair, tumor removal, reconstructive surgeries, adn medically necessary tooth removal.

Does OHIP cover dental care for seniors?

Yes. Ontario has a program called the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program. The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program is a government-funded dental care program. It provides free, routine dental services for low-income seniors who are 65 years of age or older.

Coverage includes:

• check-ups, including scaling, fluoride and polishing
• repairing broken teeth and cavities
• x-rays
• removing teeth or abnormal tissue (oral surgery)
• anesthesia
• treating infection and pain (endodontic services)
• treating gum conditions and diseases (periodontal services)

For more information about this program, please visit the Ontario website

It’s important to compare the affordable dental coverage and other coverage options available so you can make an informed decision when selecting a plan that best meets your needs.