Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review

In terms of sheer value for money, the Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance is hard to beat and covers hundreds of dental procedures.

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review
(Image: © Physicians Mutual)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance covers over 350 procedures at over 450,000 locations. There are three simple plans to pick from, depending on your budget, making this a good choice for those who want an easy, fuss-free dental coverage option.

Pros

  • +

    Wide US coverage

  • +

    Simple, clean pricing

  • +

    Lots of procedures covered

Cons

  • -

    No app

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Physicians Mutual began back in 1902 and has become a trusted name in the world of medical coverage, offering one of the best dental insurance plans in terms of sheer value. The Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance covers over 350 types of dental procedures, with the insurer spanning the entire US.

The dental coverage is also part of the company's wider insurance offerings, which includes health insurance, so you could even look at taking out both coverage types with the one provider. Let's take a closer look at what's on offer with the Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance coverage now... 

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: Overview

  • In-network savings averaging 33 percent
  • Over 470,000 provider locations

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance service provides a lot of freedom for the money, adding to its value. This includes no annual or lifetime maximum on the amount of cash benefit a customer can collect. A nice way to know you're covered without issue, no matter what happens. The lack of deductibles is also a nice touch.

The savings to be had on Physicians Mutual are not only at face value but also run deeper thanks to what you get for that low price. You will have access to a huge 470,000 provider location across the US meaning there should be a dentist near to you.

Also, you are set to enjoy savings of an impressive 33%. But it could even more than that since this is the average saving made, according to the Physicians Mutual website claims. That won't apply to all 350 procedures covered but will likely help in most situations where you'd otherwise be paying more. To put this potential saving into perspective, look at our guide to how much does dental insurance cost.

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: An image showing a dentist's chair

(Image credit: Daniel Frank/Pexels)

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: Cost

  • Prices start at around $24 and go to about $118
  • Three payment plans available
Physicians Mutual dental insurance: key facts

Coverage options: PPO

Plans available: Three

Snapshot: In-network savings up to 50 percent

Pricing varies by state but a rough guide shows a range from around $24 up to about $118.  While the prices do vary by state they don't as much as some dental insurers. As such you can expect fluctuations measured in nickels and dimes rather than dollars. 

What's special about Physicians Mutual dental insurance, which makes it such good value for money, is the addition of comprehensive cover features in its economy range. There are a whopping 350 procedures covered in total which offer an additional saving for in-network dentists. So if you've got healthy teeth but want to be covered for anything unexpected, this is the insurer for you.

For a very comprehensive dental coverage option, we'd also recommend looking at our Delta Dental review

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: What's covered?

  • 350 procedures
  • Exams, x-rays and cleanings

Physicians Mutual dental insurance, as previously mentioned, covers 350 dental procedures. The catch is, they're not all available right away. This is common with many dental coverage providers, as we explain in our feature answering what does dental insurance cover?

The length of time you need to wait depends on the level of procedure required. Access is granted based on time and obviously which plan you've decided to go for.

Also covered are fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, bridges, dentures and more. These procedures are sectioned into varying price categories, each one of these is a plan with the more complex and expensive offerings in the top end plans. More on that below. 

For bigger in-network savings, also consider Guardian Direct Dental Insurance.

Prevention is better than cure, so ensure you are brushing your teeth twice a day, for two minutes at a time, with the best electric toothbrush. To maintain your smile at home, consider using one of the best teeth whiteners.

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: Plans

  • Preventive care immediate
  • Three options

Physicians Mutual dental insurance offers three basic plans which break down into procedures covered. These are Preventive Care, Basic Care and Major Care. 

Preventive offers payments immediately after cover starts. Basic Care has a three month wait before all services are covered. The Major Care package has some procedures that won't get a payout until you've had the cover for a year.

Here are some of the offerings of each plan:

  • Preventive Care Services: Exams, x-rays and cleanings - 30 preventive services.
  • Basic Care Services: Fillings, simple tooth extractions and minor oral surgery - 100 basic care services.
  • Major Care Services: Root canals, crowns, bridges and dentures - 200 major care services. 

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: A dentist prepares to treat a woman's teeth

(Image credit: Getty)

Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance review: User reviews

  • BBB rating of A+
  • Indeed rating of 3.7 out of five

Customer reviews of Physicians Mutual are largely positive. However these are for the parent company so don't specifically focus on dental, although some will. Since the company's behavior on a larger scale is often apparent in subsections, this should be useful.

The Better Business Bureau has Physicians Mutual accredited with a rating of A+ as a company. Customer reviews on that platform reveal that of the 66 complaints in the last three years, 25 were resolved in the last 12 months. These were mainly billing issues.

Indeed's employee reviews, of which there were 126 at time of publishing, average a 3.7 star rating out of five. This is a site that shows what the company is like to work for, since this is mostly positive that bodes well for how customers can expect to be treated. 

If you're still unsure, take a look at our guide to how to find the best dental insurance online.

Should I buy Physicians Mutual Dental Insurance?

The offering from Physicians Mutual dental insurance offers a great choice of dentists spread across 450,000 US locations. The plan breaks down into three clear and simple pricing structures that enable you to get basic preventive care immediately and more expensive procedures after a waiting period. 

Customer reviews are good and the company appears to offer decent servicing of its customers' needs. If you want a good value service that's easy to use, this could be right dental coverage for you.

Luke Edwards

Luke is a veteran tech journalist with decades of experience covering everything from TVs, power tools, science and health tech to VPNs, space, gaming and cars. You may recognize him from appearances on plenty of news channels or have read his words which have been published in most tech titles over the years. In his spare time (of which he has little as a father of two) Luke likes yoga, surfing, meditation, DIY and consuming all the books, comics and movies he can find.