Frequently Asked Questions
Dentists in these networks have agreed ahead of time to give lower prices to members. In exchange, they can spend less time marketing their practice and more time caring for their patients. Think of your dental plan like a Costco membership. Your membership gets unlimited savings at any of the dentists nationwide who are part of your plan.
We frequently hear from members of both plans that their dental bills are cut roughly in half overall.
Exact savings depend on the plan and the work being done. Here are the key differences between the two plans we offer to help you choose what works best for you:
General Dentistry
Although both plans offer strong savings, Care 500 usually saves a bit more at the general dentist than Dental Access does. The official range for Care 500 is 20-60%, while the official range for Dental
Access is 15-50%.
Specialist Work
At endodontists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, prosthodontists, periodontists, and pediatric dentists, Care 500 saves a flat 20%, while Dental Access savings can range from 15-50%.
See more details:
We confidently stand behind both plans, their savings, and their networks of dentists.
Many dental offices allow patients to use their 1Dental plan after their insurance plan has hit its annual limit, during their waiting period, or for procedures their dental insurance doesn’t cover. Some may even check both to see which will save you more at your visit. However, they may not give you the chance to use both for the same visit or procedure.
Use your dental savings plan to supplement what your dental insurance won’t cover. Here are some examples:
During your insurance plan’s waiting period
After you’ve reached your annual maximum (most insurance plans will only cover $1,000-$1,500 a year)
On cosmetic work like dental implants or veneers
On specialty work like braces for adults
Have your dentist check both at each visit to see which saves you more on the work you’re having done
Find out more about using dental insurance and dental savings plans on our blog.
You could go to the dentist for a cleaning every day if you wanted to and get the same savings every time (though once every 6 months is fine for most people)! There are no limits with our plans.
Yes! Whether you’re a licensed broker, a health blogger or just love sharing about 1Dental savings — get paid to sign others up as a side gig or an add-on to your portfolio. You can sell to individuals or multiply your earnings by signing up businesses and organizations. We’ll provide you with your own personalized website, sales materials, and a dedicated team to help you succeed. Learn how to start selling
See plans and pricing options here.
Choose the membership option that works best for you:
Groups
Your business or organization gets lower rates! Set up a group plan in 5 minutes or less.
Groups
Your business or organization gets lower rates! Set up a group plan in 5 minutes or less.
It takes about 2 minutes to become a member, either online or over the phone. We only need some basic information and payment to get your plan started.
Anyone living in your household can be included. You can also include parents, college students, or other family members if you are financially responsible for them.
As soon as an in-network dentist can see you! Even before you receive your card in the mail, the dentist can call us to verify your membership.
Care 500: Right now
You can use your plan right away with your temporary ID, which you’ll receive when you join (which takes about 2 minutes). You’ll also get a
copy emailed to you.
You can use this ID at any of the plan’s tens of thousands of providers as soon as you have an appointment. Sometimes members join when they’re already in the dental office and use it at the same appointment!
Dental Access: Within about a week
You’ll get your card in the mail in about a week, but if you have an emergency, give us a call and we can help you get in sooner in many cases!
Click here to find a participating dentist or specialist near you.
How to use our provider search engine:
Search by address, city or zip code. Once results appear, you can sort them in the following ways:
a. Dentist name or dental practice name
b. Care 500 dentists, Dental Access dentists, or both at once
c. Dentist type (general or specialist)
d. Language (some dental offices are multilingual)
It’s very important to find a dentist near you who accepts the plan you choose. Only dentists within each network have agreed to give savings.
1. Make sure you’re using the correct plan name
When you call your dentist, rather than saying “1Dental,” ask if they take “Careington Care 500” or “Aetna Dental Access” (which they may refer to as “Aetna’s discount
plan” or “Aetna’s savings plan”). If they ask what type of plan it is, call it a “dental savings plan” or “dental discount plan.”
2. Check both plans for your dentist
You can also search for your dentist on our site. Make sure to check both plans, Care 500 and Dental Access. Although Care 500 often gets better
savings on general dentistry, Dental Access has a larger network of dentists and often gets higher savings at specialists.
3. Invite your dentist to join
If you can’t find your dentist on our site, and you call them and verify that they don’t accept either plan, you can
invite them to join.
Absolutely. Just make sure the dentist takes your plan. You can use our dentist search engine and also double-check with the receptionist when you call to make your appointment.
Between checking the information on our website and talking to your dentist, you can get a good idea of what you’ll pay. Dental Access provides estimates, while Care 500 gives exact prices of most procedures for your zip code.
Care 500
If you already have a list of the treatments you need, just look them up on the
list of procedures and prices. Even if you haven’t been yet, you can still get a ballpark idea of what to expect.
Dental Access
You can view estimates online, but your dentist will have more exact pricing for your treatment.
It’s easy, fast, and free! 1Dental members sometimes need to switch between Care 500 and Dental Access when they move to a new area or wish to see a certain dentist. Just call, email, or chat with our customer care team to let them know you need to switch, which only takes 1-2 business days to take effect.
Our Customer Care team will be glad to help if you need to make changes to your plan: 855-329-6305
If you run into any issues with your plan, we’ll do everything we can to make it right. We can help you switch plans, find a dentist, or update members on your plan.
But if 1Dental just isn’t a good fit for you, we’ll give you a full plan refund within the first 30 days of signing up, minus your setup fee.
If you’re too far into your first year for a refund, you don’t have to renew for a second year. Your plan is set to renew automatically, but just let us know if you want to change this setting.
Our Customer Care team will be glad to help if you need to cancel or make changes to your plan: 855-329-6305
1Dental has been around since 1997. You can read our story here.
Careington, our partner company that administers the Care 500 and Aetna Dental Access networks, was founded in 1979 by two dentists. They wanted to create a better way to connect dentists with patients and provide everyone with access to more affordable dental care. Today, Careington networks serve over 15 million Americans.