Dental plans
Blue Shield offers affordable and comprehensive dental plans available to clients with and without a Blue Shield health plan.1
Highlights:
- IFP dental plans are for people of all ages, including seniors
- Can be sold stand-alone or with a medical plan
- Off-exchange dental plans can be sold any time of the year
- Dental plans sold through Covered California can only be purchased when enrolling in a medical plan sold through Covered California or added to an existing on-exchange medical plan during open enrollment.
- Waiting periods for dental services are waived for members who provide proof of prior comprehensive dental coverage that ended within 60 days from their Blue Shield dental effective date. See waiving period details (PDF, 99 KB).
We also offer a dental and vision plan package, Specialty DuoSM*, which includes comprehensive dental and vision coverage.
Our dental provider networks are among the largest in the state. The dental PPO plans include over 49,000 access points2 and our dental HMO network includes over 22,000 access points2 in California. Visit Find a Doctor to help your client's find a dentist in their area.
Dental rates are increasing by an average of 5.5% in 2025.
2025 Dental Summary of Benefits and Benefit Summaries
2025 Dental, Vision and Life plans at a glance (PDF, 475 KB)
Dental PPO plan benefits
No waiting period for diagnostic or preventive services
Covered diagnostic and preventive services, such as X-rays and routine cleanings, do not count toward the annual coverage limit for dental PPO and Specialty Duo dental plans, providing more coverage for other services before reaching the annual limit
A wide range of dental benefits, including most diagnostic and preventive services, at no additional cost when using a dental network provider
Implants coverage available
Orthodontic benefits are available on select plans for both children and adults
Up to $75 deductible per member, per calendar year
Choice of a $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000 calendar-year benefit maximum per member
Coverage even when members use a non-network dentist. Our plan reimburses members up to an allowed amount for covered services, and they pay the remaining balance of the total billed charges.
Dental HMO plan benefits
A wide range of dental benefits, including most diagnostic and preventive services at no additional cost
No deductibles and no calendar-year maximums
Orthodontic services available
Affordable fixed copayments for basic and major services
Specialty care available with a referral from a primary dentist
Our Specialty Plans at a Glance (PDF, 277 KB) provides a side-by-side comparison of our dental plans. You can find more detailed information in our dental benefit summaries.
1 Your client must be a California resident at the time of enrollment. If your client had a Blue Shield IFP dental plan or a dental + vision package canceled, they must wait six months from the date of cancellation before they can reapply.
2 Access points represents the number of network dentists at each office location where patients are treated. A network dentist who treats patients at two separate office locations constitutes as two access points.
*Underwritten by Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company (Blue Shield Life).
