Braces cost at least $3,000 these days, but a good dental insurance policy can cut those costs significantly. Investopedia staff chose Delta Dental as the best dental insurance company for braces because it has plans with great orthodontic coverage, including at least two plans that cover adult braces. However, you may find another dental insurer on this list to be a better fit, depending on your preferred orthodontist, your budget, and how soon you or your child need braces.
To help you choose a dental insurance company, we researched 13 plans from 10 companies that cover braces. We evaluated them based on costs, coverage amounts and limits for orthodontia, and the company’s customer satisfaction record.
Best Dental Insurance for Braces of 2025
- Best Overall, Best Lifetime Coverage, and Best for Adult Braces: Delta Dental
- Best Waiting Period: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Best Overall Costs: Spirit Dental & Vision
- Best HMO: Delta Dental HMO
Best Overall, Best Lifetime Coverage, and Best for Adult Braces : Delta Dental
Delta Dental
Based on the lowest-premium PPO with orthodontics coverage:
- Lifetime Orthodontia Coverage Limit: $1,500
- Deductible: $50
- States Available (Sample Plan): 15 plus D.C.
Why We Chose It
Delta Dental offers two plans that cover adult braces in the regions we researched, earning the company our “best for adult braces” designation as well as the title for best overall. One plan is a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan, the other a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. The PPO plan we examined, Premium PPO, covers a solid 50% of the cost of orthodontic care after a relatively low $50 orthodontic deductible and a six- or 12-month waiting period, depending on your state. The lifetime maximum braces coverage is $1,500, the highest amount we saw in our research, which is why the company is also our top pick for lifetime coverage. Plus, state regulators received very few complaints about Delta Dental over a three-year period compared to the company’s size, indicating its customers are relatively satisfied.
We scored Delta Dental based on a PPO plan that’s available in 15 states plus Washington, D.C. The company operates nationwide but does not offer braces coverage in every state, so be sure to check the details for policies available in your state.
Delta’s PPO orthodontics plans are costly compared to competitors, but they offer good coverage for the price, making them ideal for people who need orthodontics or other types of expensive care. Delta was also our top pick for the best dental insurance company.
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Tied for the highest lifetime coverage limit
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Very few complaints relative to company size
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Covers up to 50% of orthodontic costs—the most any carrier offers
Cons
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Higher-than-average premiums
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Six- to 12-month waiting period
Overview
Unlike some competitors, Delta’s PPO plans don’t offer immediate coverage for orthodontics; you’ll have to wait six or 12 months, depending on your state. Its HMO plan, which is discussed later in this list, doesn’t have any waiting period and has a much lower premium. However, it may cover fewer of your orthodontic costs, and you’ll probably have a smaller group of dentists to choose from than the PPO offers.
Delta Dental is one of the largest providers of individual and family dental insurance in the U.S., with a PPO network of more than 112,000 dentists nationwide. The Delta Dental Plans Association is a not-for-profit organization established in 1966 and made up of 39 independent companies, some of which have been in business since 1954. Coverage options vary by state.
Best Waiting Period : Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Based on Anthem’s lowest-premium PPO with orthodontics coverage:
- Lifetime Orthodontia Coverage Limit: $1,000
- Deductible: $150 (lifetime)
- States Available (Sample Plan): 14 states
Why We Chose It
Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Incentive plan has no waiting period and covers half the cost for children’s orthodontics after a $150 lifetime deductible. Although the plan will only cover $1,000 worth of orthodontia in a lifetime ($500 a year), it’s the only plan we found that offers 50% coverage with no waiting period, making it a good option if your child needs braces right away.
The plan also rewards you for getting annual preventive care by lowering coinsurance costs the following year. However, the plan’s premium is higher than average for the PPOs we reviewed.
Note
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health care plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace to offer child dental care, including for medically necessary orthodontia, such as corrections to a cleft palate or other structural issues requiring surgery. So, if you plan to get an Obamacare plan, check whether it covers child orthodontia during open enrollment.
But if braces are not considered medically necessary for your child, you don’t want to get your health insurance from the Exchange, or you missed open enrollment, a private dental plan from Anthem is a good option.
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Offers child orthodontics plan with no waiting period
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Covers 50% of orthodontia care, up to a limit
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Rewards annual preventive care with lower coinsurance the following year
Cons
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Does not cover adult braces
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Only covers up to $1,000 for orthodontics ($500 per year)
Overview
Although Anthem’s PPO plans don’t cover adult orthodontia, Anthem has a dental HMO plan available in California that covers adult braces. The Dental Net 3000D HMO plan has no waiting period and offers coverage with a $1,895 copay for adults and $1,695 for children, plus $10 per office visit.
For PPO plans, Anthem has a large dental network with more than 136,000 unique providers at a half-million locations. The number of customer complaints about Anthem to state regulators over three years is about proportional to Anthem’s size.
Anthem is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of health insurance companies, which began offering medical coverage to members in 1929. Anthem offers dental insurance in 14 states.
In 2022, the parent company’s name was changed from Anthem, Inc. to Elevance Health, with no impact to plan names or coverage.
Best Overall Costs : Spirit Dental & Vision
Spirit Dental
- Lifetime Orthodontia Coverage Limit: $1,200
- Deductible: $0
- States Available (Sample Plan): Nationwide (except Washington)
Why We Chose It
Spirit’s Core PPO Plan has the lowest PPO premiums of the orthodontics insurers Investopedia reviewed. Its combination of low premiums, low deductibles, and relatively high annual maximum coverage offers good value for the money. Like all of Spirit’s plans, it has a $100 lifetime deductible, which could save you hundreds of dollars over the years compared to plans with annual deductibles. The lifetime maximum for orthodontia is $1,200, which is higher than what most competitors offer.
The Core PPO Plan has no waiting period for orthodontics coverage, but the coverage percentage is paltry the first year. For children under 19, the plan covers 10% of orthodontic costs in the first year, 25% in year two, and 50% in year three. If you buy a Spirit plan a few years before your child may need braces, you can get great value from the Core PPO Plan. The company does not offer orthodontics coverage for adults, though.
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Very low premiums, on average
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No waiting period
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Up to 50% of children’s braces covered by year three
Cons
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Spirit’s underwriter has a poor customer satisfaction record
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No coverage for adult braces
Overview
Spirit Dental & Vision only offers PPO dental plans. The company uses the same provider network as its underwriter, Ameritas, which includes more than 130,000 dentists nationwide.
However, Ameritas has a poor customer satisfaction record. It ranked last in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Dental Plan Satisfaction Study, and the company had more complaints to state regulators than expected, given its market share.
Best HMO : Delta Dental HMO
Delta Dental
- Lifetime Orthodontia Coverage Limit: None
- Deductible:$0
- States Available (Sample Plan): 8 states and D.C.
Why We Chose It
Delta Dental’s HMO orthodontics plan, DeltaCare USA, is a good option if you want much lower premiums than PPO plans offer. For example, in California, the monthly premium is only about $9, while for Delta’s PPO Premium plan, it’s $68. Delta’s HMO covers adult braces and has no deductibles, annual coverage limits, or waiting periods for care.
The tradeoff is that you’ll have a smaller network of dentists to choose from than with a PPO. Because DeltaCare USA is an HMO, no out-of-network providers are covered. And you’ll probably pay more when you get care than you would with a PPO. Copays (or copayments) for braces can be as high as $2,800 for adults and $2,600 for children in California. In Texas, you’ll pay 75% of the usual and customary rate for orthodontic services.
Note
The DeltaCare USA plan is only available in eight states (California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah) and the District of Columbia. But that’s more than other orthodontic HMO plans we examined.
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Low premiums
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No waiting period, annual coverage limit, or deductible
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Covers adult braces
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Very low complaint rate compared to company size
Cons
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High copays for braces
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No coverage out of network
Overview
Delta Dental is one of the largest dental insurance providers in the U.S. It is made up of 39 independent companies that offer HMO and PPO plans. PPOs are available in every state but orthodontic coverage is not, so you’ll need to check the plans offered in your area.
State regulators received very few complaints about Delta Dental over a three-year period relative to the company’s market share. That’s an indication of customer satisfaction.
Why Trust Us
Every Investopedia product review begins with a rigorous research and analysis process. For this list of the best dental insurance for braces, Investopedia staff considered 25 criteria that are critical when choosing a good orthodontics insurance provider. After collecting 325 data points related to premiums, waiting periods, adult braces coverage, deductibles, coverage percentages, and much more, we scored and weighted the data to objectively determine which providers were the best.
Investopedia has been a trusted source of financial information since 1999 and has been helping readers find the best dental insurance since 2020.
How We Chose the Best Dental Insurance Companies for Braces
Our process for finding the best orthodontics insurers began by narrowing the field of companies to consider. We used business and industry data about market share, trends, and consumer interest in various companies to come up with a set of 10 key companies and 13 plans covering braces for children, adults, or both. Ten of the plans were PPOs, and three were HMOs. We intentionally targeted providers and plans available to individuals who do not buy their health and dental insurance through state or federal insurance marketplaces.
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 to state regulators. We also gathered data directly from companies via websites, media contacts, and existing partnerships. The data collection process took about six weeks.
We then developed a quantitative model that scored each dental insurance provider based on 25 criteria that fall into four major categories and are crucial in evaluating the company’s offerings and benefits. We weighted the four categories as follows for this article:
- Coverage: 55%
- Cost-to-Value: 30%
- Customer Satisfaction: 10%
- State Availability: 5%
To learn more about our process for finding the best dental insurance companies, read our full methodology.
Investopedia / Alice Morgan
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.