Home / Dental Insurance / Delta Dental / Individual plans
Inside Delta Dental · individual PPO

Delta Dental individual plans: Premium vs Basic

Delta sells two individual PPO tiers on the same network. Premium adds major work, implants and adult orthodontics. Basic keeps your routine care covered for roughly the price of a streaming bundle. Here is the honest side by side.

What is the difference between Delta Dental Premium and Basic?
Premium is the full plan; Basic is routine care only. Both share the network, have no wait for preventive care, and reset on a calendar year. Premium (about $75/mo) adds major work, implants and adult orthodontics with a $2,000 maximum. Basic (about $33/mo) covers preventive at 100% and basic care at 50%, caps at $1,000, and does not cover crowns, implants, gum treatment or braces. Basic is a structurally narrower plan, not a discounted Premium.
Side by side

Compare the two tiers

Switch the toggle to see how the same coverage rows change. Lines that read "Not covered" on Basic are dropped entirely, not just reduced.

~$75/mo · estimate
$2,000 annual maximum · calendar year
CoveragePremium paysWait
Preventive (exams, cleanings, x-rays)100%None
Basic (fillings, simple extractions)80%*~6 mo
Major (crowns, bridges, dentures)50%~12 mo
Endodontics & periodontics50%~12 mo
Implants50%*~12 mo
Orthodontics (adult & child)50%
$1,500 lifetime · $50 ortho deductible		~12 mo
Annual deductible$50 / $150 familyn/a

*Basic coinsurance shows 80% on national summaries but 50% on some state certificates. Implants and whitening are state-dependent; the California certificate excludes whitening. Confirm your state certificate. Premium price and ~6-day activation are estimates that vary by age and ZIP.

~$33/mo · estimate
$1,000 annual maximum · calendar year
CoverageBasic paysWait
Preventive (exams, cleanings, x-rays)100%None
Basic (fillings, simple extractions)50%~6 mo
Major (crowns, bridges, dentures)Not coveredn/a
Endodontics & periodonticsNot coveredn/a
ImplantsNot coveredn/a
Orthodontics (adult & child)Not coveredn/a
Annual deductible$50 / $150 familyn/a

Basic is the routine-care tier: preventive in full and basic work at 50%, capped at $1,000 a year. Major work, implants, gum treatment and orthodontics are not benefits. Price and ~9-day activation are estimates that vary by age and ZIP.

Which fits you

Basic for routine and budget; Premium for the big stuff

Pick Basic if

  • You mainly want cleanings, exams and the occasional filling.
  • Budget is the deciding factor (about $33 vs $75 a month).
  • You do not expect crowns, implants, gum treatment or braces this year.
  • You are comfortable with a $1,000 ceiling and 50% on basic work.

Pick Premium if

  • You want major work covered: crowns, root canals, bridges, dentures or implants.
  • You or a dependent want orthodontics (50%, $1,500 lifetime, 12-month wait).
  • You want the higher $2,000 maximum and periodontal coverage.
  • You value richer basic coverage where your state certificate provides it.
See the Premium hub Compare against other carriers
Read the fine print

What varies by state

Basic coinsurance on PremiumShown as 80% on national summaries, 50% on some state certificates. Verify before quoting a hard number.
Whitening and implantsState-dependent on Premium. The California certificate excludes teeth whitening; implant terms can differ by state.
Missing-tooth clauseStandard Delta policies often limit coverage for a tooth missing before the policy started. Confirm by certificate rather than assume none applies.
UnderwriterDelta Dental Insurance Company in AL, DC, FL, GA, LA, MS, MT, NV, UT; separate Delta member companies in CA, PA, MD, NY, DE, WV; Texas is a DPO.

Common questions

What is the difference between Delta Dental Premium and Basic?
Both are individual PPO plans on the same network with no waiting period for preventive care and a calendar-year maximum. Premium (about $75 a month) adds major work, implants and adult orthodontics and carries a $2,000 annual maximum. Basic (about $33 a month) covers preventive at 100% and basic care at 50% only, caps at $1,000 a year, and does not cover major work, implants, periodontics or orthodontics. Basic is a structurally narrower plan, not just a cheaper Premium.
How much does Delta Dental Basic cost?
The individual PPO Basic plan starts around $33 a month (about $393 a year) for a single subscriber, though the exact rate varies by age and ZIP. It has a $1,000 annual maximum and a $50 deductible.
Does Delta Dental Basic cover crowns or braces?
No. The Basic plan covers preventive care and basic services such as fillings and simple extractions only. Crowns, root canals, bridges, dentures, implants, periodontics and orthodontics are not benefits on Basic. For those, choose the Premium tier or a higher group plan.
Is Delta Dental individual a calendar-year plan?
Yes. Both Premium and Basic run on a calendar year, so the annual maximum and deductible reset every January 1, regardless of when you enrolled.
Which Delta Dental individual plan should I pick?
Pick Basic for low-cost routine and preventive care if you do not expect major work or braces this year. Pick Premium if you want crowns, root canals, implants, dentures, periodontal care, adult or child orthodontics (50% up to a $1,500 lifetime maximum), or the higher $2,000 annual maximum. Coverage and exclusions vary by state, so confirm your certificate.
Transparency

Sources & last reviewed

Checked against Delta Dental and plan-summary sources on June 24, 2026. Terms vary by state, plan year and certificate; confirm yours before enrolling.

Delta Dental PPO Individual Premium · dentalplans.com
Delta Dental PPO Individual Basic · dentalplans.com
Delta Dental PPO individual and family plans (official) · deltadentalins.com
Delta Dental individual and family CA PPO brochure (PDF) · deltadentalins.com