Many or all of the companies featured compensate us. Compensation and research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more

Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)
157 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
Our content is free because we may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase using our site. Learn more.
Guardian Direct is a division of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, which is among the largest mutual insurance companies in the nation. Founded in 1860 and headquartered in New York, Guardian offers a wide array of products, including dental insurance. Guardian employs numerous agents across the country and holds a superior rating with the BBB and excellent ratings for financial stability.

Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance - Overview

Guardian Direct's dental insurance is part of a series of comprehensive individual insurance products offered on guardiandirect.com, including accident, critical illness, vision and pet insurance. 

Guardian Direct dental insurance plans can cover regular exams, cleanings, x-rays, root canals, crowns, implants, and braces. Consumers can choose from a number of Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans or a Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) plan based on their needs, budget, and state.  


 

Qualification

Consumers interested in dental insurance from Guardian Direct can enroll immediately through their fast, safe and secure website guardiandirect.com.  Guardiandirect.com also provides a provider lookup to help find a dentist in the Guardian network or confirm their existing dentist is a part of the network. 

After providing their zip code, applicants are shown the plans that are available for them in their area.  To purchase, they need only enter who needs to be covered, home address, phone number, gender, birthdate and email address along with a valid form of payment.  


Plans

Through Guardian Direct, consumers have access to three tiers of PPO dental insurance plans. The first, Bronze, is for people who are only expecting to get cleanings and the occasional filling. The second, Silver, works best for those who anticipate needing dental work beyond the occasional filling. And the third, Gold, is best suited for people who want the maximum amount of coverage possible. In the states of FL, IL, NY, and TX, DHMO plans are also available. The PPO plan tiers' offering is as follows:

Coverage

Preventive services include the most routine dental services, such as oral exams, cleanings, and X-rays.

Basic services include dental services, such as fillings and simple extractions.

Major services include more complex dental services such as crowns, oral surgery, and implants.

 

GUARDIAN DIRECT PAYS

PLAN BENEFITS

GOLD ADVANTAGE

SILVER ADVANTAGE

BRONZE ADVANTAGE

Preventive Services

100%, No Waiting Period

80%, No Waiting Period

100%, No Waiting Period

Basic Services

70%, After 6 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 6 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 6 Month Waiting Period 

Major Services

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period 

0% (Not Covered)

Implants

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

0% (Not Covered)

Child (under 19) Orthodontia

50%, After 12 Month Waiting Period

0% (Not Covered)

0% (Not Covered) 

DEDUCTIBLES

 

 

 

Preventive Services

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

$0 In-Network

$50 Out-of-Network

All Other Dental Services 

$50

$50

$50

MAXIMUM PAYOUTS

 

 

 

Total Benefit Maximum

1st Year Max: $500

2nd Year Max: $750

3rd Year Max: $1,000

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,500

1st Year Max: $500

2nd Year Max: $750

3rd Year Max: $1,000

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,000

1st Year Max: $1,000

2nd Year Max: $1,250

3rd Year Max: $1,500

4th Year & Beyond Max: $1,000

Implant Maximum

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Lifetime Max: $700

Not Covered

Child (under 19) Orthodontia Maximum

Yearly Max: $500

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Yearly Max: $500

Lifetime Max: $1,000

Not Covered

Dental Insurance at Guardian Direct

Guardian Direct's easy online enrollment process, comprehensive plan breakdown, and supplementary research material all make for a solid choice of dental insurance. After consumers answer a few questions designed to determine which plans best suit them, they can begin the enrollment process. Since Guardian Direct is highly rated by the BBB, consumers should have confidence that the company can meet their dental insurance needs.


Leave a comment for Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance
Minimum 12 words.
 No maximum length.
* What's Your Rating?
To make this comment as helpful as possible for our community, please provide at least 2 sentences.

157 Customer Comments & Reviews

Loading Reviews ...
F
Fay C
4/22/2021
Terrible customer service. I called to upgrade my plan, but they failed to process my request. I called them again and again in the following months but upgrade never happened. Finally I got to talk to a supervisor and he said he'd take care of the change but he'd charge me the difference in premium for the past months (during these months upgraded service was not rendered). Every time I called, a simple inquiry took more than 30 minutes.


dcrose1150
4/1/2021
My bank card got hacked and I needed to get it replaced. This was the card the payments for my husband and I were coming out of. When I got my new card, I got on their website and submitted the new number. Twice, just to make sure. For whatever reason, they kept trying to take payments out of my old card. Ironically, the new card was accepted for my husband. When I realized that I'd lost my insurance, I called and explained what happened. No one listened, no one cared, and the rep was extremely condescending and rude. This is by far one of the worse companies I have ever dealt with. I'd had insurance with them for quite awhile - yet clearly, it's not about customers. Their... Read More


D
David G
3/29/2021
I do not recommend taking out a policy with Guadian Dental. They sent me a notice, informing me that if I didn't want to continue coverage for the upcoming year, I needed to let them know. So when I called to terminate for the new year, the representative did not make it clear that I had terminated before year end. So when I turned in a claim in Dec they refused to pay. Although I called multiple times to explain the misunderstanding, they refused to pay my claim...poor customer service! Suggest you find another plan...so sorry I did not read the terrible reviews before I started this plan!


lyssbalo
3/12/2021
Absolutely awful insurance. I have been battling with them for 2 months (Rescheduled 4 dental CLEANING appointments) because they listed my 6 month old as the subscriber and myself as the child- thus, the dentist is unable to accept my policy. Every time I call they pass the buck onto another Representative, saying it'll take 2-4 days to resolve even 2 months later. So frustrating. I've been paying for dental insurance I have been unable to use.


frankfixer2
2/17/2021
I will be dropping my coverage, your coverage is a rip-off, only cover my cleaning and continue to deny my claims for a cracked tooth crown after my dentist sent in all the evidence in the world. I am going to alert oneexchange, fidelity and ibm of your fraud.


Marylu F
2/10/2021
TERRIBLE!!! all the representatives lie to just get you off the phone.


Carol M
2/9/2021
Not a trustworthy company! I was given a pre-approval from Guardian for a dental procedure. So I went ahead and had the procedure done. When I filed my insurance claim with Guardian after the procedure was done they denied my claim. I did file a dispute with Guardian in regards to my claim and I never did get to speak with anyone at the company, but they denied my claim again! What the hell!!! How can you first tell me you are going to pay for the procedure, and then turn around and tell me you are not going to pay.


Emma H
1/29/2021
STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS INSURANCE COMPANY! This company is absolutely awful and their practices are criminal! They did not have a pediatric dentist in the HMO network anywhere near us so after numerous phone calls with their call center (that is clearly in India), they told us that we could go to an in-network PPO dentist and they would cover all expenses above what our HMO deductible was. Jump to $7,000 worth of dental work later and first they completely denied the claims. Then they said they’d pay a small portion but we needed to get reimbursement for the rest from the dentist!!! In addition our out of pocket max for the whole family was $700 total and yet they are claiming our... Read More


dfelizondo
1/11/2021
Terrible service. I signed up for 2021 on 12/14/2020, and up to this date (1/11/2021), the plan is not reflected in my account, so I can not make an appointment with my dentist. To their convenience, they promised they will make it retroactive to Jan 1st, but that will work only on their favor, charging the bill for the full month, rather than prorated for the number of days for which my plan was really available for my dentist and me to make an appointment. I have been wasting my time in calls, and they don't resolve the problem; right now, I have 50 min waiting and they answer, talk for 5 seconds asking me to wait to be transferred to another person, and put me on hold again. The webpage... Read More


tlynwiez
12/18/2020
WORST dental insurance ever! I had this because that's what was offered at my work. i didn't have a waiting period, had a procedure approved. my work decided to switch insurance at beginning of year. I called guardian for weeks, and not one person there was competent, I was switched from one agent to the next, called 15 times. on hold for hours each time. All I wanted to do was continue with them and pay for plan myself rather then my work pay, so my procedure would be completed. BUT ABSOLUTLY not they said if I continue with them there would be a 9 month waiting period, ridiculous, I was already receiving insurance from them. I never had to wait with any company, especially if i was... Read More



Top Rated
Our Partner
  • Unlimited Use
  • Pre-Existing Conditions Included in Plan Savings
  • Plans Start at $99/Year for Discounted Rates on Dental Procedures
  • 100,000+ Dental Access Points Nationwide
  • A+ Grade with the BBB
  • Voted #1 in Ethics by Dallas Morning News
  • Discount Dental Plan (Not Insurance)