Four carriers. About twenty plans. One page that tells you what they actually cost at your age, what they actually cover, and which one fits — then lets you enroll in a few minutes. No sales call required.
Step one
This is the same handful of questions I'd ask you on the phone. The answers narrow twenty-odd plans down to one or two that make sense — and I'll tell you why, not just what.
Nothing is submitted. No email required.
Be honest here — it's the single biggest factor in which plan is right.
This one is worth real money. Prior coverage can erase waiting periods entirely.
Orthodontia is the one benefit that's genuinely hard to find on individual plans.
Networks differ a lot. Going out of network can cost you hundreds.
Real numbers
These are the actual 2026 monthly premiums published by each carrier — not estimates. Change your age and the whole table updates. Add family members to see a household total.
| Carrier | Plan | Monthly | Household | Annual maximum | Wait for major work |
|---|
Blue Cross Healthy Smiles, Dental Blue Connect and Delta Dental all price per person — the household figure is everyone's individual rate added together. On the ACA-qualified Blue Cross plans (Dental Choice, Choice Plus and the new Choice Core) you pay for a maximum of three children under 21; a fourth and fifth child are free. Ameritas is different — it prices by ZIP code rather than age, so its real rate comes from the live quote tool rather than a table.
The part nobody explains
Dental insurance is not really insurance the way health insurance is. Health insurance protects you from catastrophe — an unlimited downside. Dental insurance is closer to a discount program with a spending cap. Once that sentence lands, every other decision on this page gets easier.
Carriers use different plan names, but they all sort dental work the same way. The bucket a procedure lands in determines what share you pay and how long you have to wait.
People assume a cracked tooth is an emergency the plan will handle immediately. On most plans a crown sits in Bucket 3 — which means a 12-month waiting period before the plan pays a dime toward it. If you already know you need major work, the waiting period matters more than the premium. Two ways around it: buy a plan with no waiting period (Ameritas, Delta's Clear Plan, or a Blue Cross copay plan), or use prior coverage to get the wait waived. More on that below.
What you pay every month whether you visit the dentist or not. The only number most people compare — and the least useful one on its own.
What you pay before the plan starts sharing costs. Typically $50–$90 per person per year, and it usually does not apply to cleanings.
Your share afterward. Coinsurance is a percentage (you pay 50% of a crown). A copay is a flat dollar amount (you pay $500 for a crown, full stop).
The most the plan will pay in a year — usually $1,000–$2,500. This is a cap on them, not on you. Anything past it is yours.
How long you must hold the plan before certain work is covered. Commonly 6 months for basic and 12 for major. This is the number that trips people up.
Assume a $1,400 crown, in network, on a plan you've held for over a year. Illustration only — your dentist's fee and your plan's allowed amount will differ.
Two things this shows. A copay plan is often cheaper on a single big procedure, and it's predictable — you can know the number before you sit down. And even before the plan pays anything, being in network reduces the bill, because network dentists agree to discounted rates. That discount alone is worth something.
If you're coming off other dental coverage, say so during enrollment. Carriers will often credit that time and waive your waiting periods — the difference between paying 50% for a crown next month and paying 100% for it for a year.
| Carrier | What waives the waiting period | What you need to provide |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Dental | At least 12 consecutive months of prior dental coverage with no gap longer than 30 days. | Name of the prior carrier and dates of coverage during enrollment. |
| Ameritas | At least 12 continuous months of prior fully-insured active dental coverage, with a gap of no more than 60 days. Ameritas calls this Credit for Prior Coverage. | Previous policy number and carrier name, entered during enrollment. |
| Blue Cross | Ask before you apply — credit for prior coverage is handled case by case. The copay plans have no waiting periods to begin with, and under-19 ACA plans have none either. | Call me and I'll confirm before you submit anything. |
Ameritas doesn't impose waiting periods in the first place — but it does start you at a lower benefit level in year one, so prior-coverage credit still matters there.
A network dentist has signed a contract agreeing to charge less than their usual fee — often 25–50% less. That discount applies before your plan pays anything, so it lowers both your share and how fast you burn through the annual maximum. Out of network, the dentist can bill their full fee, your plan pays a smaller percentage of a smaller allowed amount, and you cover the gap. On some plans it's a modest difference. On others it doubles your bill.
Before you enroll, look up your dentist. Every carrier below has a provider search linked in its card. It takes ninety seconds, and it's the single most common reason someone ends up unhappy with a plan they otherwise chose well.
If you need $3,000 of work and your plan caps at $1,500, ask your dentist to schedule half in December and half in January. You get two annual maximums instead of one.
Cleanings and X-rays are covered from day one on nearly every plan. Use the waiting period productively — get the exam done, find out what you're facing, and plan around it.
Ameritas calls this Preventive Plus. Your cleanings don't eat into the annual maximum, so the whole cap stays available for the expensive work.
Several plans here increase coverage and annual maximums after year one, and one Blue Cross plan improves its major-work coverage in each of the first three years. Staying put pays.
Side by side
Each of these is genuinely the right answer for somebody — and the wrong one for somebody else. Here's the honest version.
| Blue Cross of Idaho | Delta Dental of Idaho | Ameritas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network size in Idaho | Most Idaho dentists participate | Largest — roughly 9 of 10 dentists nationwide | Smaller network, but deeper discounts where it applies |
| Waiting periods | 6 months basic / 12 months major — except the copay plans and under-19 ACA plans, which have none | 6 months basic / 12 months major — waived with 12 months of prior coverage. The Clear Plan has none at all | None. Benefits are simply lower in year one, then step up |
| When coverage starts | The 1st of the following month | The 1st of the following month (enroll any time through month end) | As soon as the next day |
| How it's priced | By age band | By age band | By ZIP code, not age |
| Braces | Medically necessary orthodontia on ACA plans for under-19 only, with prior authorization | GrinWell Prime covers adult and child braces — $1,000 lifetime maximum | Care Boost covers child braces under 19 — $1,000 lifetime maximum |
| Implants | Covered on several plans; the copay plan sets a flat $1,250 implant copay | Covered on Prime and Plus at 50%, or a flat $1,250 on the Clear Plan | Covered on Care Boost and Care Complete with its own annual sub-limit |
| Highest annual maximum | $2,500 (Healthy Smiles Elite) | $2,000 (GrinWell Prime), or unlimited on the preventive-only plan | $3,500 after year one (Care Complete) |
| Unusual extras | True copay plans where every procedure has a fixed price | Health through Oral Wellness — extra benefits if a risk assessment says you need them | Hearing aid coverage on Care Complete; teeth whitening on Care Boost |
| Best if… | You want a familiar Idaho name, broad dentist access, and a plan tier for every budget | Keeping your current dentist matters most, you're coming off other coverage, or you need braces | You need coverage immediately, you're on Medicare, or you want hearing benefits included |
VSP is vision-only and isn't compared here — it's a separate purchase, covered further down. Ameritas also sells vision plans built on the EyeMed and VSP networks if you'd rather have dental and vision on one bill.
Enroll
Each enrollment link below is coded to my agency, so I'm listed as your agent and can help with claims, ID cards and questions later — at no additional cost to you. Look up your dentist first.
Trusted Idaho name · Broad network · Coverage starts the 1st of next month
Blue Cross gives you the widest spread of price points on this page. At the low end, Healthy Smiles Preventive covers cleanings and exams for under $25 a month for most adults. At the top, Healthy Smiles Elite carries a $2,500 annual maximum and improves its major-work coverage in each of the first three years you stay on it.
The ones to know about are the copay plans. Instead of paying a percentage and guessing, every procedure has a fixed price: $75 for a filling, $500 for a crown, $150 for an extraction, $1,250 for an implant. There are no waiting periods, and the annual maximum disappears entirely after year one.
Monthly rates at age 45
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9 of 10 dentists nationwide · Waits waived with prior coverage · Enroll any time
If keeping your dentist is the priority, start here. Delta is Idaho's largest dental carrier and its network reaches nearly every practice in the state, plus more than 152,000 dentists nationwide — useful if you travel or have a kid away at college.
Five plans, and they're meaningfully different from one another. GrinWell Prime is the closest thing here to employer-grade coverage: a $2,000 annual maximum, implants, and orthodontia for adults as well as children, which almost no individual plan offers. The Clear Plan takes a different approach — no waiting periods at all, and set dollar amounts instead of percentages, so a filling is $90, a crown $500, a root canal $400, an implant $1,250. At the other end, GrinWell Prevent covers preventive care with no copays and no annual maximum for around $22 a month.
Monthly rates at age 45
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Next-day coverage · Priced by ZIP, not age · Dental, vision and hearing
Ameritas solves one specific problem better than anyone else: you need work done and you can't wait. There are no waiting periods on the PrimeStar plans, and coverage can begin as soon as the next day. The trade-off is that benefits start lower in year one and step up after twelve months — so a crown covered at 20% now might be covered at 50% a year from now.
Three dental plans. Care Lite is the value option, with a $750 maximum that doubles to $1,500 after year one. Care Boost adds child orthodontia, implants and teeth whitening, and lifts the maximum to $2,500 in year two. Care Complete is the most generous plan on this entire page — $3,500 after year one, 80% coverage on basic work from day one, plus hearing aid benefits, which makes it a strong companion to a Medicare plan.
One feature worth calling out: Preventive Plus. Your cleanings and exams don't count against the annual maximum, so the entire cap stays available for expensive work.
PrimeStar dental plans
Ameritas rates depend on your ZIP code rather than your age, so there's no table to publish — the shopping link returns your exact price in about a minute.
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Largest vision network in the U.S. · No waiting periods · Benefits start the month you enroll
Dental plans don't cover glasses. If you want vision coverage, it's a separate policy — and VSP is the largest vision carrier in the country, with the biggest network of independent eye doctors plus retail locations.
All three plans share the same core: a $15 exam copay, a $25 copay on prescription glasses, and a $150 frame allowance ($170 on featured brands) with 20% off anything over that. What differs is the contact lens handling and the upgrades. The EasyOptions plan lets you pick one upgrade each year — fully covered premium progressive lenses, fully covered light-reactive lenses, an extra $80 for frames, or an extra $80 for contacts.
Monthly rates in Idaho
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What happens next
Most people are done in one sitting. Here's the order I'd do it in.
Use the provider search on the carrier's card above. If your dentist isn't in that network, stop and check a different carrier — this is the most common regret and it's completely avoidable.
Names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for everyone being covered. A home address and email. Bank account or card details for the first premium. If you've had dental coverage in the last year, bring the carrier name, policy number and dates — that's what waives your waiting periods.
The links are coded to my agency, which costs you nothing and means you have someone to call later. Your premium is exactly the same either way.
Ameritas can start as soon as tomorrow. Blue Cross and Delta start the 1st of the following month. If you're timing around a treatment plan or the end of other coverage, this field matters — pick deliberately.
Most carriers give you digital access to your card quickly and mail the physical card within about ten days. Preventive care is covered from day one on nearly every plan — get in early and find out what you're working with.
Claim denied, dentist says you're not covered, ID card never showed up, premium came out twice. That's what I'm here for, and there's no charge for it. 208-238-1171.
Learn from other people
The cheapest plan is the right answer if you only want cleanings. If you need a crown, a $22 plan that doesn't cover major work costs you $1,400 more than a $45 plan that does.
Ninety seconds of looking up your dentist prevents the single most common complaint. Ameritas in particular trades network size for bigger discounts — great value, but verify.
People leave a job, buy a plan, and never mention the dental they just had. That silence can cost a year of waiting on major work that would have been waived.
There's no out-of-pocket maximum protecting you on the top end. The annual maximum caps what the plan pays, not what you pay. Budget accordingly.
Individual dental has no open enrollment window. You can buy it in March, in August, or the week after you crack a molar. Don't wait for November.
Medicare Parts A and B exclude routine dental. Medicare Advantage dental varies enormously and is often capped low. A standalone dental plan can be bought any time of year.
Questions
No. Premiums are filed with the state and are the same whether you buy through an agent, over the phone, or on the carrier's own website. My compensation comes from the carrier. What you get for free is somebody who knows the plans and will pick up the phone when there's a problem.
Yes. Individual dental and vision have no open enrollment period — that's a health insurance rule that doesn't apply here. Blue Cross and Delta start you on the 1st of the following month; Ameritas can start as soon as tomorrow.
Most plans make you wait twelve months for major work, so this comes down to three real options: Ameritas PrimeStar (no waiting periods, but year-one coverage on major work is lower), Delta's Clear Plan (no waiting periods, flat $500 crown copay), or a Blue Cross copay plan (no waiting periods, flat $500 crown copay).
If you had dental coverage in the last 30–60 days, a fourth option opens up: a standard Delta or Ameritas plan with the waiting period waived, which usually beats all three. Call me and I'll do that math with you before you buy.
A regular plan pays a percentage — you owe 50% of whatever the crown costs, which you can't know until the dentist quotes it. A copay plan sets a fixed dollar price for each procedure: a crown is $500 whether the dentist charges $1,200 or $1,600. Copay plans are typically better for people who know they need work and want a predictable number. Percentage plans often work out better if you need a lot of small things.
It depends on the plan, but it's usually the difference between paying 20% and paying 50%, on top of losing the network discount that would have lowered the bill in the first place. On some plans out-of-network care isn't covered at all. Before you enroll, run your dentist through the provider search — and if they're not there, ask them which plans they do take. Most offices will tell you straight out.
Rarely, and never generously — this is the hardest benefit to find on individual dental. Two real options here: Delta's GrinWell Prime covers braces for adults and children at 50% with a $1,000 lifetime maximum after a six-month wait, and Ameritas Care Boost covers child orthodontia under age 19 with a $1,000 lifetime maximum. Blue Cross covers medically necessary orthodontia on its ACA plans for under-19s with prior authorization. Delta also offers a discount program that isn't insurance but reduces the cash price.
It's a cap on them. If your plan has a $1,500 annual maximum, that's the most the insurance company will pay toward your care in a benefit year. Once they've paid it, everything after that is your responsibility at full price. This is why splitting a big treatment plan across two benefit years is such a useful move — ask your dentist to schedule half in December and half in January.
Yes, and many people should. Medicare Parts A and B don't cover routine dental at all, and Medicare Advantage dental benefits vary widely and are often capped at a low amount. Medicare's enrollment periods don't apply to dental — you can buy a standalone plan in any month. Ameritas Care Complete is worth a look specifically because it adds hearing aid coverage.
Yes. The Blue Cross ACA-qualified plans (Dental Choice, Choice Plus and Choice Core) are built around pediatric dental and include an out-of-pocket maximum for children — $450 per child, $900 for two or more — which the adult plans don't have. There are also no waiting periods on the under-19 ACA plans. If you're only insuring children, start there.
Generally no. Cosmetic dentistry is excluded from nearly every dental plan. The exception on this page is Ameritas Care Boost, which includes a benefit toward professional teeth bleaching. Veneers, cosmetic bonding and elective smile work are self-pay almost everywhere.
Terms differ by carrier and some plans have an annual contract commitment, so ask before you enroll if you think you might only want coverage briefly. Ameritas offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on its dental and vision plans. Call me and I'll tell you what your specific plan allows.
Only if you buy glasses or contacts. Do the arithmetic: VSP's Standard plan is about $167 a year for one person and returns a $150 frame allowance plus a covered exam, so if you replace your glasses annually it pays for itself. If you wear the same frames for five years and just need an exam, paying cash for the exam is often cheaper.
Plain English
Your agent
Independent insurance agent in Pocatello. I represent all four carriers on this page, which means I have no reason to steer you toward one over another — only toward the one that fits.
Most people can enroll from this page without talking to anyone, and that's the point. But call me if any of these apply:
There's no charge for any of it, and there's no charge later either.
Important. This page is a summary prepared by Real Benefit Solutions to help you compare options. It is not a contract, a certificate of insurance, or a guarantee of coverage. The policy, certificate and schedule of benefits issued by the insurance carrier control in all cases, and they contain the complete description of benefits, limitations, exclusions and conditions of coverage. Where this page and a carrier document disagree, the carrier document governs.
Rates shown are 2026 individual monthly premiums as published by each carrier and are subject to change. Blue Cross of Idaho and Delta Dental of Idaho rates are age-banded and apply to Idaho residents. Ameritas premiums are determined by ZIP code and must be quoted through the carrier's shopping tool. VSP rates shown are those published in the plan comparison document linked on this page; confirm current pricing during enrollment. Plan availability, benefit levels, waiting periods and networks vary and may change.
Blue Cross of Idaho is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Delta Dental of Idaho, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and Vision Service Plan are independent companies. All product names, logos and brands are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only.
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