Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is a type of health coverage that helps pay for the cost of preventive, basic, and major dental services. It is designed to make oral care more affordable and to encourage regular checkups that prevent costly procedures later on. Dental insurance is offered through group employee benefits, individual plans, or conversion plans for people leaving workplace coverage.

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Typical benefits include cleanings, exams, fillings, extractions, and X-rays under preventive and basic services, while more advanced work such as crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontics falls under major or specialized categories.

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Dental plans often use annual or lifetime maximums, coinsurance percentages, and recall intervals to manage costs. Coverage can be structured as a standalone policy or bundled with extended health benefits. In Canada, major insurers like Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, Alberta Blue Cross, and GreenShield each offer variations that balance affordability with coverage depth.

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Example:

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If a dental cleaning costs $180 and your plan covers preventive services at 100 percent, the plan pays the full amount. For a $1,000 crown covered at 50 percent, you would pay $500 out of pocket.

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What to Watch For:

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Review your plan’s annual maximum, as most dental coverage resets each year. Confirm whether major services or orthodontics have waiting periods. Some plans follow the provincial dental fee guide, while others use internal reimbursement schedules.