Improve Dental Plan Value Through Better Employee Education

Employees may feel confident choosing dental coverage and still need help understanding what they will pay when they use it. In 2026 research from Ameritas and Employee Benefit News, 89% of survey respondents stated that they felt very or somewhat confident comparing and selecting a dental plan during their last open enrollment. Yet 45% reported having been surprised by the cost of a dental service after receiving care. Cost confusion can affect employees’ perception of benefit value and generate additional questions for HR teams. These findings highlight an opportunity to help employees connect their coverage choices with their experience at the dentist.

Brokers can help clients address that gap through employee education that explains costs, supports informed provider choices and makes benefits easier to use. Consider these strategies to bring more value to your clients’ dental benefits education.

Use group information to focus education

Brokers are uniquely positioned to identify utilization trends across groups and translate them into targeted education strategies. Start by reviewing available group utilization information alongside the questions employees bring to human resources. Low preventive care use or frequent questions about unexpected charges can help identify topics that deserve attention. Discuss what may be contributing to those patterns before recommending a communication approach. For example, high out-of-network use could reflect provider preferences, limited network access or uncertainty about finding a participating dentist. Education can also reinforce the value of preventive care, helping employees use covered services before treatment needs become more costly and complex. Each will call for a different response. Work with your client to choose two or three priorities and develop education around the decisions employees need help making.

Connect plan details to real situations

Employees need to understand how plan provisions work together when they receive care. An employee who knows the coverage percentage for a crown may still be unsure how a deductible or remaining annual maximum affects the final cost. Give clients an example showing how each applies, using the client’s actual plan provisions. Explain that the annual maximum limits what the plan pays during the benefit period; employees need to know how much remains available. This guide to dental plan terms can support the conversation, while a practical example helps employees see why those details matter.

Make network savings easier to recognize

A provider directory tells employees where to find a network dentist, but a cost comparison helps explain why they might choose one. Ask the carrier for an example showing the same procedure in and out of network under the client’s plan. Include the employee’s estimated payment and the amount of annual maximum used in each scenario. Explain how network discounts can affect both, even when coverage percentages are the same. Pair that example with instructions for searching the correct network and checking provider participation before scheduling care.

Encourage estimates before expensive treatment

Give clients a clear message to share when employees are considering dental work they find costly: ask the dental office to submit a pretreatment estimate. Online cost estimators can help compare procedure charges, while a pretreatment estimate considers the member’s specific benefits and proposed treatment. It helps employees understand the estimated plan payment and their potential responsibility before care. Explain that an estimate does not guarantee payment and may change if benefits or eligibility change before treatment. Share this guide to understanding dental costs so employees have a resource to consult when a dentist recommends a procedure.

Give employees a practical path to answers

Work with your client to keep benefits guidance accessible after enrollment. Help employers incorporate these resources into onboarding materials, enrollment communications and benefits portals. Once coverage begins, help employees locate their member account, benefit information, provider directory and carrier contact details. Provide a short checklist they can use before care: confirm network participation, review coverage and request an estimate when appropriate. After care, direct questions about how benefits were applied to the carrier, and questions about the office’s bill to the dental office. Sharing a guide to explanation of benefits statements can also help employees understand the difference between a claim statement and a bill.

Make education part of ongoing client reviews

Agree with your client on a few ways to assess whether education is helping. Depending on available information, these could include preventive care use, network utilization and the types of questions employees continue to ask. Revisit those measures during regular client discussions and consider other changes that may affect the results, such as network availability or plan changes. If employees still struggle to anticipate costs, review whether examples reflect their plan and whether estimate instructions are easy to find. Use what you learn to refine the next round of education.

Effective dental benefits education can help improve employee understanding, reduce cost surprises and increase perceived value from the dental plan. Work with the carrier to connect plan-specific education resources with the questions, choices and care experiences that matter to each group.

Sources and References:
ADA: Pre-Authorizations