Dental insurance annual maximums have barely moved since the 1960s

Most employer-sponsored dental insurance plans cap annual benefits at $1,000 to $2,000 per person. This cap has remained essentially unchanged since dental insurance became widespread in the 1960s, when $1,000 had the purchasing power of roughly $10,000 today. A single root canal and crown can consume an entire year's maximum, leaving nothing for any other treatment. The real-world impact is devastating. A patient who needs two crowns and a filling in the same year faces thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs despite paying premiums every month. Many people delay or skip necessary treatment, waiting until the next calendar year resets their maximum. This delay turns treatable cavities into infections, infections into abscesses, and abscesses into emergency room visits or tooth loss. The reason annual maximums persist at 1960s levels is structural. Dental insurers compete on premium price, not benefit adequacy. Employers choose the cheapest plan to check the "dental benefits" box. Raising the annual maximum to an inflation-adjusted level would require higher premiums, which employers resist. Meanwhile, consumers have no leverage because dental insurance is almost always selected by employers, not individuals. The result is a product that looks like insurance but functions more like a modest discount coupon.