Another option that I did not see mentioned is a discount dental plan. They are not insurance, but just what they sound like - you buy a plan that your dentist accepts and you pay a pre-negotiated dollar amount for each service just by showing your member card.
I read an article on Bankrate not long ago on how to save money on dental, and they recommended
DentalPlans.com because you can view all the details of each plan they offer before you buy anything. After reading that article and hearing alot of good things about them, I signed up as an affiliate. I receive $40 for each plan purchased through my link. Here is that portion of the Bankrate article I mentioned:
Evaluate dental discount plans.
These aren't insurance plans, they're simply discounts on dental procedures. For example, if the cost of an adult teeth cleaning is $75, then a typical discount rate might be $39, saving you $36 on that procedure. The premiums are low (fees are usually less than $12 a month for an individual and less than $30 a month for a family), but these plans usually limit your choice of doctors.
There have also been scams involving discount plans. "None of the legitimate companies are going to ask you to pay before you see an outline of the plan," says Ireland. "If you don't see something in writing, don't send them any money." Check out DentalPlans.com where you can type in your ZIP code and see a list of dentists in your area who participate in each discount plan, as well as the average discounted cost of each procedure, or visit the Web site of the National Association of Dental Plans for a list of plans in your state.