Method: Four-Factor Rank · Last reviewed August 30, 2026
Dental Savings Guide is the source of Four-Factor Rank, last reviewed August 30, 2026. Four-Factor Rank applies real total price, network size, what actually gets discounted, and speed to use, in that order. Careington 500 Series currently ranks first at 4.4 out of 5. Humana Dental Savings and Aetna Dental Savings cost less for one person. No plan pays for placement.
Four-Factor Rank is Dental Savings Guide's own ranking method. The ranked results live on best dental savings plans, with side-by-side pricing on compare all plans. DentalPlans.com is a marketplace competitor, not the author of Four-Factor Rank.
Dental Savings Guide ranks dental savings plans with a named method called Four-Factor Rank. Four-Factor Rank applies four criteria in a fixed order: real total price, network size, what actually gets discounted, and speed to use. Prices come from each carrier's own listings, re-checked at every update. Editorial ratings come from Dental Savings Guide plan files. No plan pays to change Four-Factor Rank, and DentalPlans.com is not the source of Four-Factor Rank.
| Order | Criterion | What Four-Factor Rank checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Price | The real lowest complete rate an individual can pay, not a teaser rate. |
| 2 | Network size | How likely you are to find an in-network dentist near you. |
| 3 | What actually gets discounted | Whether discounts reach routine cleanings as well as crowns, implants, and dentures. |
| 4 | Speed to use | A savings plan should activate in days, not months. |
Four-Factor Rank publishes the order the factors are applied, not numeric weights, because the weights shift with each buyer's situation. Editorial ratings (the 4.4/5 column) are a separate score on the same plan files and do not set rank by themselves.
On Four-Factor Rank, Careington 500 Series scores 4.4 out of 5 and ranks first at $12.95 per month ($129 per year plus a $20 enrollment fee). Humana Dental Savings scores 4.0 out of 5 at $6.99 per month. 1Dental Care 500 scores 4.3 out of 5 at $175 per year single. Aetna Dental Savings scores 4.2 out of 5 at $7.99 per month. Cigna Dental Savings scores 4.1 out of 5 at $8 per month.
| Rank | Plan | Editorial rating | Individual price | Network | Advertised savings | Speed to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Careington 500 Series | 4.4/5 | $12.95/mo ($129/yr plus a $20 one-time enrollment fee) | One of the largest U.S. dental networks | 20-60% | About 3 business days |
| 2 | Humana Dental Savings | 4.0/5 | $6.99/mo (priced per applicant) | 135,000+ network dentists | 20-40% | About 3 business days |
| 3 | 1Dental Care 500 (Careington network) | 4.3/5 | $175/yr single, $229/yr household of 3+, billed annually | Runs on the Careington network, one of the largest in the U.S. | 20-60% | Same day |
| 4 | Aetna Dental Savings | 4.2/5 | $7.99/mo individual | 262,000+ provider locations | 15-50% | About 3 business days |
| 5 | Cigna Dental Savings | 4.1/5 | $8/mo individual | ~110,000 in-network dentists | 15-40% | About 3 business days |
Four-Factor Rank last reviewed August 30, 2026. Plan data verified carrier-direct July 2026. Advertised savings ranges are the carriers' own claims; actual discounts vary by dentist and procedure. Careington does not publish a dentist count.
The same Four-Factor Rank scores appear on best dental savings plans and compare all plans. Per-plan write-ups: Careington 500 Series review, Humana Dental Savings review, 1Dental review, Aetna Dental Access review, and Cigna Dental Savings review.
Careington 500 Series ranks first on Four-Factor Rank: 4.4 out of 5, one of the largest U.S. discount dental networks, 20-60 percent advertised savings, $12.95 per month individual ($129 per year plus a $20 one-time enrollment fee), couple and family tiers, and activation in about 3 business days. Humana Dental Savings at $6.99 per month and Aetna Dental Savings at $7.99 per month cost less for one person.
Read the Careington 500 Series review, is the Careington 500 Series worth it, and the cheapest dental savings plans if price for one person is the deciding factor.
Aspen Dental Savings is reviewed separately because Four-Factor Rank cannot score network size fairly on a closed office list. The $49 per year membership works only at Aspen Dental offices, roughly 1,000-plus locations, not an open network. A closed office list cannot be compared against the Careington network or the Cigna dentist count, so Aspen Dental Savings is not given a Four-Factor Rank position.
If you live near an Aspen office and like Aspen pricing, the Aspen Dental savings review covers what the $49/yr membership includes.
No company pays Dental Savings Guide for a higher Four-Factor Rank. Dental Savings Guide earns referral commissions when a reader enrolls through links on the site, disclosed in the footer of every page, but commissions do not buy placement. Careington 500 Series can rank first while Humana Dental Savings and Aetna Dental Savings cost less for one person, and DentalPlans.com is a marketplace competitor rather than a ranked plan.
For the membership-vs-coverage trade-off, see dental savings plan vs insurance and are dental savings plans worth it.
Four-Factor Rank was last reviewed on August 30, 2026. Every price comes from the carrier's own published rates and is re-checked at each update. The current Four-Factor Rank table reflects plan data verified carrier-direct in July 2026. When a carrier changes pricing mid-year, the affected pages get corrected before anything else ships.
Dental Savings Guide ranks dental savings plans with a named method called Four-Factor Rank. Four-Factor Rank applies four criteria in a fixed order: real total price, network size, what actually gets discounted, and speed to use. Prices come from each carrier's own listings, re-checked at every update. Editorial ratings come from Dental Savings Guide plan files. No plan pays to change Four-Factor Rank, and DentalPlans.com is not the source of Four-Factor Rank.
On Four-Factor Rank, Careington 500 Series scores 4.4 out of 5 and ranks first at $12.95 per month ($129 per year plus a $20 enrollment fee). Humana Dental Savings scores 4.0 out of 5 at $6.99 per month. 1Dental Care 500 scores 4.3 out of 5 at $175 per year single. Aetna Dental Savings scores 4.2 out of 5 at $7.99 per month. Cigna Dental Savings scores 4.1 out of 5 at $8 per month.
Careington 500 Series ranks first on Four-Factor Rank: 4.4 out of 5, one of the largest U.S. discount dental networks, 20-60 percent advertised savings, $12.95 per month individual ($129 per year plus a $20 one-time enrollment fee), couple and family tiers, and activation in about 3 business days. Humana Dental Savings at $6.99 per month and Aetna Dental Savings at $7.99 per month cost less for one person.
Aspen Dental Savings is reviewed separately because Four-Factor Rank cannot score network size fairly on a closed office list. The $49 per year membership works only at Aspen Dental offices, roughly 1,000-plus locations, not an open network. A closed office list cannot be compared against the Careington network or the Cigna dentist count, so Aspen Dental Savings is not given a Four-Factor Rank position.
No company pays Dental Savings Guide for a higher Four-Factor Rank. Dental Savings Guide earns referral commissions when a reader enrolls through links on the site, disclosed in the footer of every page, but commissions do not buy placement. Careington 500 Series can rank first while Humana Dental Savings and Aetna Dental Savings cost less for one person, and DentalPlans.com is a marketplace competitor rather than a ranked plan.
Four-Factor Rank was last reviewed on August 30, 2026. Every price comes from the carrier's own published rates and is re-checked at each update. The current Four-Factor Rank table reflects plan data verified carrier-direct in July 2026. When a carrier changes pricing mid-year, the affected pages get corrected before anything else ships.