Very little, relative to insurance. At participating dentists the 500 Series discounts cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, dentures, implants, braces, cosmetic work, and emergency visits. The short exclusions list: separately billed lab and OSHA fees, at-home aligner brands like Candid or Smile Direct Club, and work already in progress. Specialists use a flat percentage off their standard rates instead of the published price list.
From the network's own published plan FAQ, three things sit outside the discount:
That is the whole list. Unlike insurance, there are no waiting periods beyond activation, no deductibles, no annual maximums, and no category exclusions for things like pre-existing conditions, because no claim is ever evaluated.
The published member prices apply to general dentists. Specialists, including pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, endodontists, orthodontists, periodontists, and prosthodontists, do not work off the fee schedule. Under the 500 Series they take a flat percentage off their own standard rates instead. If your root canal or implant is being done by a specialist, ask that office what the Careington rate works out to before you book.
If a participating dentist's regular fee is already lower than the Careington member price for a procedure, the network terms say you receive an additional percentage reduction off that lower fee. You never pay more for being a member. This matters most on cheap preventive visits in low-cost areas, where cash prices sometimes beat published schedules.
For scale, the covered categories at participating general dentists include routine cleanings (about $50 for members), composite fillings ($95-$145), porcelain crowns ($600-$900), root canals, extractions, dentures, implants, braces, cosmetic work, and emergency visits, per our Careington fee schedule breakdown. Membership is $129/year individual ($169 couple, $189 family) plus a $20 one-time processing fee.
No. There are no pre-existing condition restrictions because it is a discount network, not insurance. Work already in progress at enrollment is the one edge case to confirm with your dentist.
Yes. Both are listed as covered discount categories. Implants carry typical published savings of 15-25 percent; orthodontic rates are set per provider.
Only at participating providers. Check the directory by name and ZIP code before your visit; non-participating offices give no discount.