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Dental PPO

With MetLife's Preferred Dentist Program, a dental preferred provider organization (DPPO) plan, you can choose from thousands of participating general dentists and specialists nationwide. So you are sure to find one who meets your needs. Plus, you'll enjoy:

1) Lower out-of-pocket costs

  • Take advantage of negotiated fees that are typically 15% to 45% less than average charges in the same community.
  • All participating dentists have agreed to accept negotiated fees as payment in full for covered services.
  • Negotiated fees may even extend to services provided after you_ve reached the plan maximum.1

2) Freedom to visit any dentist

  • You have the flexibility to visit your dentist or any licensed dentist, in or out of the network. But with one of the largest dental networks in the industry, there's a good chance your dentist is in the network.
  • It's good to know that all participating dentists must meet rigorous selection standards.2
  • You can even get support to find a local dentist if you are traveling internationally and need emergency dental care.4

3) Less paperwork, more service

  • Dentists usually handle claims for you, so there's less paperwork—it's also easy to manage your plan 24/7 by phone or online.
  • You or your dentist can request a pre-treatment estimate for an upcoming service while you are in the office.3
  • Learn more about oral health, watch educational videos, take risk assessments and more—visit www.oralfitnesslibrary.com.
  • Traveling abroad and have a dental emergency? We are here to help you find a local dentist.4

The following information covers some of the basic questions you may have regarding the dental PPO plan.

A participating dentist is a general dentist or specialist who has agreed to accept negotiated fees as payment in full for covered services provided to plan members. Negotiated fees typically range from 15-45% less than the average charges in a dentist's community for similar services.

You can find the names, addresses, specialties, languages spoken and telephone numbers of participating dentists in a given area by searching our online directory - Find a Dentist.

The services covered under your dental plan are those defined under your group dental benefits plan. Consult your dental certificate of insurance―it includes details concerning coverage, limitations, exclusions and reductions.

Yes. You are always free to select the dentist of your choice. However, if you choose a non-participating dentist, your out-of-pocket costs may be higher. He or she hasn't agreed to accept negotiated fees. So you may be responsible for the difference in cost between the dentist's fee and your plan's benefit payment. Please refer to your company's plan documents for details concerning out-of-network coverage.

Yes. If your current dentist does not participate in the network and you would like to encourage him or her to apply, ask your dentist to visit www.metdental.com, or call 1-866-PDP-NTWK for an application. The website and phone number are for use by dental professionals only.

Dentists may submit your claims for you, which means you have little or no paperwork. You may also download a Dental Claim form. Just fill out the employee portion and have your dentist complete the rest. Either you or your dentist can submit the form, and benefits are paid to you, unless you’ve arranged for them to go directly to your dentist. Your completed claim form should be mailed to:

MetLife Dental Claims 
PO Box 981282 
El Paso, TX 79998-1282

You can also fax your form to: 
1-859-389-6505

You can track your claims online and even receive e-mail alerts when a claim has been processed. Once your claim is processed, you’ll receive an Explanation of Benefits statement.

Yes. You can ask for a pretreatment estimate. Your general dentist or specialist usually sends MetLife a plan for your care and requests an estimate of benefits. The estimate helps you prepare for the cost of dental services. We recommend that you request a pre-treatment estimate for services in excess of $300. Simply have your dentist submit a request online at www.metdental.com or call 1-877-MET-DDS9. You and your dentist will receive a benefit estimate for most procedures while you are still in the office. Actual payments may vary depending upon plan maximums, deductibles, frequency limits and other conditions at time of payment

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1 Savings from enrolling in a dental benefits plan will depend on various factors, including the cost of the plan, how often participants visit the dentist and the cost of services rendered.

2 Certain providers may participate with MetLife through an agreement that MetLife has with a vendor. Providers available through a vendor are subject to the vendor's credentialing process and requirements, not MetLife's.

3 The Dental Procedure Fee Tool application is provided by Verifpoint, an independent vendor. This tool does not provide the payment information used by MetLife when processing your claims. Prior to receiving services, pretreatment estimates through your dentist will provide the most accurate fee and payment information.

4 International Dental Travel Assistance services are administered by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. Effective March 1, 2016, certain benefits provided under the Travel Assistance program are underwritten by Virginia Surety Company, Inc. AXA Assistance and Virginia Surety are not affiliated with MetLife, and the services and benefits they provide are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife. Referral services are not available in all locations.

Group dental insurance policies featuring the MetLife Preferred Dentist Program are underwritten by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY.

Like most group benefit programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife and its affiliates contain certain exclusions, exceptions, reductions, limitations, waiting periods and terms for keeping them in force. Please contact MetLife or your plan adminstrator for costs and complete details.