The annual maximum is the most your dental insurance will pay for covered services in a plan year, typically ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
Once you reach the annual maximum, you pay 100% of remaining dental costs until your plan year resets, usually January 1 or your enrollment anniversary.
The average dental annual maximum is $1,500. Premium plans may offer $2,000-$5,000, while basic plans may have $1,000-$1,200 limits.
Usually yes, all covered services including preventive care count toward your annual maximum. Some plans offer preventive benefits outside the maximum.
Schedule major work across two plan years, use all preventive benefits, coordinate with spouse plan if applicable, and time treatment around maximum reset.
Annual maximums are per person, not per family. Each covered individual has their own separate maximum amount per year.
Dental maximums have remained stagnant since the 1970s when $1,000 covered most dental work. Inflation has eroded their value but insurers resist increases.
Annual maximums reset yearly for all services. Lifetime maximums apply once ever, typically for orthodontics ($1,500-$3,000 lifetime limit).
Some plans offer rollover or carryover benefits that let unused annual maximum amounts accumulate for future years, up to specified limits.
Yes, premium PPO and indemnity plans offer higher maximums ($2,500-$5,000+). Some association plans and individual policies provide better limits.