Careington 500 Series Dental Savings Plan Review

The Careington Care 500 Series Plan is an easy way to save 20-60% on most dental services. And like some similar programs, Careington 500 dental plans also have the option of discounts on vision services (including Lasik surgery savings benefit) and prescription medication. If you don’t have dental insurance, it’s smart to at least consider Careington dental plans as an affordable way to save on your checkups and medically necessary or elective dental work.

When you enroll in the Careington 500 dental plans, you get access to thousands of participating providers nationwide rather than being locked into a private membership plan at one specific dental office. Even specialists like orthodontists (for braces) and oral surgeons (for wisdom teeth), and endodontists (for root canals) accept this discount plan. This plan is not a Qualified Health Plan under the Affordable Care Act.

Pros (What I Like)

What I like about Careington dental plans is that you can save up to half on your dental-related expenses without worrying about dental insurance claims, co-pays, or maxing out your annual allowable. There’s no middleman. You simply show your card to the dental office and immediately save money on your dental treatment. 

• Save 20-60% on dental care
• Braces, dental implants, and more included
• Affordable individual and family memberships
• No limitations or pre-authorizations
• FDA approved prescription drugs savings
• Vision care savings

Cons (What I Dislike)

Pricing is geographically based, so the fee I pay may be a little different from what you do, but overall, it’s still really affordable. I mean, checkups can cost as little as $19 for an exam and $34 for a kid’s teeth cleaning. Regarding add-ons, this plan doesn’t include any options for hearing or hearing aids. 

Who Is Careington 500 Dental Plans Savings Plan For?

Careington 500 dental plans are for anyone who doesn’t have dental insurance or doesn’t like the coverage their dental insurance plan offers. Your membership gives you a big discount on almost all routine dental procedures, so you can save on everything from dental checkups to smile makeovers (and remember, cosmetic treatments aren’t covered by dental insurance!)

Both individuals and families can join. A family plan is $179/year, regardless of how many people are in your household.

Related: Get both Careington 500 & Aetna Dental Access for $99/ year with my special offer here! 

Key Features 

You can use your dental discount card at any dentist’s office or participating health care providers in the Careington 500 program. There are thousands nationwide. But the best part is if you need treatment, you know exactly how much everything will cost. Your dentist won’t have to “estimate” your benefits or worry about claims being rejected by your insurance carrier. 

When you join the Careington dental savings plan, you get:

• Savings all year long
• No annual maximums (your benefits don’t run out)
• 20-60% discounts on most dental services
• No insurance claims to file
• No pre-authorizations required
• A tool to find dentists in your area
• Pricing tool on covered services
• Discounts on procedures traditionally not covered by insurance (like whitening or veneers)

Careington 500 Dental Plans

The Careington 500 dental plans are specifically designed as an affordable alternative to dental insurance, even though they aren’t technically the same thing as insurance. This plan is not insurance and is not intended to replace health insurance or medicare prescription drug plan. You’re basically getting a set discount on all of your treatments instead of your dentist having to mail claims into an insurance office and waiting to get reimbursed a month or two later. So, it’s a win-win for both of you.

What’s included in the Careington 500 discount plans:

Dental Benefits 

Here is a sample of savings on the overall national average cost on dental care services.

• 36-71% off basic and preventive dental (think checkups, cleanings, and sealants)
• 28-52% off restorative dental procedures (like crowns or fillings)
• 20% off braces 
• 20% off cosmetic dentistry treatments
• 20-70% off dentures and dental bridges 
• 50-57% off oral surgery (dental extractions and wisdom tooth removal) 
• 20% off specialty treatments with an endodontist, oral surgeon, orthodontist, periodontist, prosthodontist, or pedodontist

Additional Benefits

• Vision care savings (including Lasik vision correction)
• Prescription plan savings with FDA and many generic prescription drugs

How Much Is The Careington 500 Dental Savings Plan?

Your fee to join Careington dental plans is calculated geographically, with some parts of the country costing less than others. On average, the fee to join is $164.95 a year for individuals and $199.95 for families, with an additional $20 processing fee. 

Savings on Common Dental Procedures

Instead of immediately getting “free” (aka included) services with your Careington dental plans, you get a discount on all or most procedures during your appointment. So, you still pay something out of pocket during your checkup, but the price is significantly less than someone without a dental savings plan or insurance coverage is paying. 

Basic And Preventive Dental Care

These are the visits you schedule twice a year to keep your smile healthy and free of infection. Your exams, cleanings, X-rays, fluoride, and sealants all fall into the preventative category of care. Since you’re saving somewhere between 36-61% on each service, your Careington discount plan basically pays for itself in one year, if not one trip to the dentist for your family. Then if you do need any dental work, you’re already signed up to get discounts on whatever you and your dentist work out for your care plan. If you need a deep cleaning because of gum disease, you’re able to save hundreds of dollars by joining this program.

Restorative Dental Procedures 

Restorative dentistry is when your dentist uses some type of treatment to restore or repair your tooth from tooth decay. Dental fillings, crowns, and root canal treatment are probably the most common. This is where you’ll notice the biggest difference between a discount plan and dental insurance because most insurance plans max out after they pay around $1,000 to $1,500 for restorative work. Your Careington dental plan saves you up to 52% on services, and there’s no limit on how many you need.

Braces 

Adults and kids can get 20% off their orthodontic treatment, saving a little over $1,000 on braces. Both Phase I and Phase II braces are covered, as well as traditional treatments for adults. While you might not get as big of a discount on clear aligner systems, you’ll probably only have to pay the difference between the cost of braces (with the discount) and that of the invisible system (ask your dentist or orthodontist to be sure.)

Cosmetic Dentistry

Want a smile makeover? If you’re planning to use dental insurance, sorry! Insurance won’t discount any elective procedure. But Careington 500 dental plans get you an automatic 20% discount on dental veneers and teeth whitening. So go ahead and indulge because the membership fee alone is worth the added savings. 

Dentures, Implants, and Dental Bridges

Do you have missing teeth? Well then, you’re in luck! Dentures are about 30% off, and you get 20% off dental implant treatments. Some dental insurance companies don’t even cover dental implants, even though experts consider them the “standard” for today’s tooth replacement treatments making this plan is my top pick for seniors.

Oral Surgery (Tooth Extraction) (save 65 to 69%) 

If you need a tooth pulled, emergency extraction, or wisdom tooth removal, you can have the procedure completed by a general dentist or an oral surgeon. Depending on where you’re at, general dentist fees are 50% off or more than what you would pay without the Careington 500 dental plan, and specialty offices save you about 20%.

Is The Careington 500 Dental Saving Plan Good?

Yes! The Careington 500 plan can be used at any participating dentist’s office, so just use the dentist locator tool to find a provider in your area. Keep in mind that you can’t join and use your benefits the same day; you’ll need a couple of business days for your application to be processed and activated. 

If your family doesn’t have dental insurance coverage, it’s a smart idea to invest in a dental savings program because of the automatic discounts you get. There are no exclusions as far as pre-authorizations or existing conditions, either. 

Careington is a well-known, well-respected dental benefits provider. Even if you’ve never heard of them before, you can know that you’ll have access to excellent customer service and a 30-day money-back guarantee. With the online pricing tool, you can see exactly how much you’ll pay for services in your area, so you won’t be blindsided by unexpected fees. If you move, your membership comes with you, and you can easily pick up your dental care with another participating provider. 

Your plan automatically includes prescription drug benefits through Agelity. Agelity prescription savings program is recognized at over 57,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, and others.

Combined Health Benefits With Aetna Dental Access + 500 Series Careington Plans 

Without any added fees, you automatically get added discounts on vision services and prescription drugs. Other types of dental savings plans require an added fee for drug and vision benefits, but the Careington 500 series doesn’t. You can take your benefits to the next level when you combine your 500 series plan with the Aetna Dental Access program. When you do, you get the best of both worlds, and there’s no added costs to pay for. 

Your vision savings include a VSP Vision Savings Pass for a discounted eye exam and a discount on both frames and lenses. Contact lens exams are also discounted. You can even get 40-50% off the retail price of Lasik eye surgery. As a side note, VSP discounts aren’t available in Washington State. 

Drug benefits include 20% off included brand-name prescription drugs and 40% average savings on generic prescriptions. Or opt for the mail-order pharmacy to save even more. 

Careington 500 Savings Plan vs. Competitors 

The Careington 500 discount program offers significant savings on dental, vision (including traditional Lasik surgery), prescription drug benefit. A lot of other discount dental plans require an added fee to take advantage of vision or drug discounts, but this one doesn’t. However, it doesn’t include hearing services or hearing aids, so if that’s something you’re looking for, you may want to consider a competitor plan. Otherwise, you really can’t go wrong with the Careington 500 Series plus the Aetna Dental Access option included with your membership. 

Related: Best Dental Discount Plans