Careington is the best dental savings plan for most people in San Antonio. It costs $12.95/mo ($129/yr plus a one-time $20 fee), is not insurance, and has no waiting period. Search each plan by ZIP before you enroll. Call the office you would actually use, whether Alamo Heights or Stone Oak, and confirm it accepts the plan by name.
Careington 500 Series is the best dental savings plan for most people in San Antonio: $12.95/mo ($129/yr plus a one-time $20 fee), not insurance, one of the largest U.S. dentist networks, no waiting periods, 20-60% off covered procedures. Cheapest: Humana at $6.99/mo, strongest for seniors needing dentures or implants. Largest published network: Aetna at 262,000+ locations nationwide.
Same plans and prices nationwide. Ranking reflects value for most buyers: price, network usefulness, and savings depth.
| # | Plan | From / mo | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Careington 500 SeriesBest Overall | $12.95/mo($129/yr) | One of the largest in the U.S. |
| 2 | Humana Dental SavingsBest for Seniors | $6.99/mo | 135,000+ |
| 3 | 1DentalBest for Families | $14.58/mo($175/yr) | Careington network, one of the largest in the U.S. |
| 4 | Aetna Dental SavingsLargest Network | $7.99/mo($75/yr) | 262,000+ |
| 5 | Cigna Dental SavingsBest Transparency | $8/mo($96/yr) | ~110,000 |
Network counts above are national figures published by the carriers. None of them publish a San Antonio-only dentist count, so run each plan's ZIP search before you commit.
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Prices never do. None of the five reviewed plans sells a San Antonio product or Texas-only rate. All five bill nationally. What San Antonio does change is which side of town you should search. If you live on the outskirts or travel between the Hill Country and downtown, broad network access matters more than saving a dollar on the monthly fee. Alamo Heights and Stone Oak are the named neighborhoods to check first.
Careington stays the overall pick for most people: $12.95/mo ($129/yr plus a one-time $20 fee), one of the largest U.S. networks, no waiting period. Humana at $6.99/mo still leads for seniors who need dentures or implants. Aetna lists 262,000+ locations if you want the largest published network count in Bexar County.
The membership is national, so it prices care wherever a participating dentist sits. Participation still differs office by office, and no carrier publishes a San Antonio-only dentist count. Search your ZIP in each plan directory before enrolling, then call the Alamo Heights or Stone Oak office you would actually visit.
The catch, stated plainly once more: these plans shrink bills instead of paying them. Even a steep discount leaves real money out of pocket on big cases, and savings vary by procedure and office. For most cash-paying San Antonio residents, immediate uncapped discounts still beat waiting out an insurance clock. Read the Careington review for the full fee schedule and trade-offs.
We publish audited national ranges instead of invented San Antonio fee schedules. Ask any office for the plan member rate before you book.
| Procedure | Typical retail | Typical with a plan |
|---|---|---|
| Composite filling | $200-$400 | $95-$145 (published Careington member price) |
| Single crown | $1,300 avg ($800-$2,500 range) | $520-$1,040 after a 20-60% discount |
| Routine cleanings and exams | Varies by office | Discounted the same way under every plan listed |
Filling numbers per our filling cost breakdown and filling cost without insurance. Crown numbers per our crown cost breakdown.
Want the short version? Our free advisor matches you across all seven reviewed plans in about a minute, or read our San Antonio metro guide for more depth. Full Careington pricing lives on the Careington review.
For most uninsured San Antonio residents, Careington 500 Series at $12.95/month ($129/year plus a one-time $20 sign-up fee) is the best dental savings plan. It is not insurance, has no waiting period, and pairs one of the largest U.S. networks with an operating record back to 1979. Retirees needing dentures or implants should weigh Humana at $6.99/month first, and option-hunters fit Aetna's 262,000+ locations.
Prices are identical across city lines, so treat this as a ZIP-code decision: the best plan in San Antonio is the cheapest one that includes a dentist you can reach in Alamo Heights, Stone Oak, downtown, or the outskirts.
Careington 500 Series is the best dental savings plan for most people in San Antonio. It costs $12.95/month ($129/year plus a one-time $20 sign-up fee), is not insurance, and has no waiting period. It runs one of the largest dentist networks in the U.S. and activates in about 3 business days. Humana Dental Savings is cheapest at $6.99/month and is aimed at seniors needing dentures, implants, or other major work.
No. All five plans we review are national memberships priced identically in San Antonio and every other city. There is no San Antonio-only version of any plan. What changes by address is which dentists participate near you, which each carrier lets you check by ZIP before paying.
Humana Dental Savings leads that list: $6.99/month per applicant, 135,000+ dentists nationally, and published strengths in dentures, implants, and major restorative work, with no waiting period to delay care. A couple pays twice since Humana has no family tier. Careington at $12.95/month remains the broad-network alternative, also without waiting periods.
No. These are discount memberships rather than insurance, so there is no waiting period anywhere and most activate in about 3 business days. Traditional dental insurance typically makes new members wait 6-12 months before covering crowns or dentures, then caps payouts at a $1,000-$2,000 annual maximum regardless of city.
We publish national figures rather than a separate San Antonio fee schedule. A composite filling typically runs $200-$400 retail and $95-$145 on the published Careington member fee schedule. A crown averages about $1,300 without insurance and roughly $520-$1,040 after a typical 20-60% discount. Ask the office for the member rate before you book.
The plan lowers fees but never covers them: a discounted $2,400 implant case still leaves roughly four figures on you, and discounts vary by procedure and office. Participation varies office by office and no carrier publishes a San Antonio dentist count. Search the plan directory by ZIP before enrolling, or call the office in Alamo Heights or Stone Oak and ask whether they accept the plan by name.
Not among the plans we review. All five are national discount memberships sold at the same price in San Antonio as elsewhere. Any page advertising exclusive San Antonio rates invented them.
Participation varies office by office and no carrier publishes a San Antonio dentist count. Search the plan directory by ZIP before enrolling, or call the office in Alamo Heights or Stone Oak and ask whether they accept the plan by name.
No. They are discount memberships: no claims, no deductibles, no waiting periods, no annual maximums. You pay the discounted fee directly to the participating dentist at each appointment.