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Guardian Dental Insurance

4.6 Stars (28 Reviews)
Updated: January 25, 2023
By: Jonathan Trout
Jonathan Trout
Content Manager
Jonathan is a former product and content manager for Retirement Living. His background spans sales/marketing, finance, and telecommunications. Jonathan’s expertise in consumer wellness and research-backed data stories helped educate seniors on financial planning, retirement, and community resources. Jonathan graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Environmental Sociology.
Content Manager
Edited By: Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith
Sr. Content Manager
As Retirement Living’s senior content manager, Jeff oversees the product and publishing of all retirement, investing, and consumer wellness content on the site. His extensive expertise in brand messaging and creating data-driven stories helps position Retirement Living as a top authority for senior content and community resources.
Sr. Content Manager

For over 155 years, Guardian has been providing group insurance to more than 20 million people. Guardian’s insurance products expanded over the decades to include dental insurance covering over 7 million consumers. One of the largest dental insurance providers in the country, Guardian offers Guardian Dental Direct individual policies across the country with excellent coverage options and low rates usually reserved for group plans.

Editorial Breakdown

Network 4.5 Stars
Ease of Purchase 4.5 Stars
Plan Variety 4.3 Stars
Customer Service 4.2 Stars

Overall Rating 4.3 Stars

Bottom Line

Guardian offers PPO dental plans and a DHMO dental plan. It has 363,000 dental offices in it's PPO network in the United States. Guardian's website gives you a detailed quote based on a few short questions. Click below for a free quote.

28 Guardian Dental Reviews

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1 Star

December 18 2020 1:15PM

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 than my work pay, so my procedure would be completed. BUT ABSOLUTELY 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 already a member, so I was left with 8000.00 fees out of my pocket to finish my implant, because this greedy company would not let me pay for their insurance without having to wait.

Why pay when you get no benefits! Customer service has no knowledge at all, everyone I spoke to insured me they would call me back with answers the next day, never got a call.

In the process at one point I did sign up to continue before I knew there would be a long waiting period, and come to find out the agent didn't even complete the process, they took my bank number and everything to process the fee.

Was told it would be taken Dec 26-30 and I can cancel anytime. Well they took my money the same day, then I find out after that they refuse to waive the waiting period which I have been asking about for months.

I BETTER see a refund. TERRIBLE customer service. No wonder my work changed companies!!!! DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THEM!!!

Tracy W.
Olathe, KS
1 Star

October 12 2020 3:44PM

They SUCK. I never thought I would use such language on a platform as such. Customer service main words of comfort is I am so sorry when it comes to internal errors between your dental provider and your insurance. I have a DMO so I have to stay in network.

My dentist didn't become contacted until 9.20. My dos started in July 20. Insurance verification was done when I was in the dental chair not being advised the dr was on.. I was informed I had to apply for care credit.

I expected some op expenses due to some of it may have been considered cosmetic, but it was poor customer service on my dentist and my insurance from the beginning.

Laydail B.
Houston, TX
1 Star

October 09 2020 7:01PM

If it was possible for zero stars I would have selected that. My son needed a tooth because he was born without one. They denied it based on pre existing conditions. He would have had to have lost the tooth while under their insurance.

Asked how to file a grievance and got a laundry list of hoops to jump through. Just a company that wants your money. Stay away.

Chris M.
Otsego, MN
1 Star

October 01 2020 8:43PM

Every time I call I always get someone who does not speak English very well and you can hear roosters and dogs barking in the background and they can never answer my questions properly.

I paid upfront for a dental procedure in Aug and now starting Oct Guardian is saying they need better quality xrays in order to process the claim. I keep calling to ask if they received the new xrays and all they say is submit electronically.

Ok there are many ways to submit electronically which do you want email website, fax? "Just submit electronically and put your processor ID on it." I can never get a clear answer.

The people I speak to don't understand what I'm asking so why are they working for a dental insurance if you don't clearly understand what the job is. American insurance should be handled by American people. Just saying so they can actually understand and actually help.

Mari N.
Reno, NV
1 Star

August 10 2020 2:26AM

Whoa!!! Be careful of this company.. Didn't want to pay their share...Not honest people...Will rip you off... Paid my share of the bill... Now they don't want to pay their share...

Avoid this company at all cost... Why have insurance at all?.. Now I have to pay their share...Total...976.00... Thumbs are down... Avoid...

Mac B.
Lancaster, CA
1 Star

August 01 2020 6:02PM

This is a fraudulent company! Somehow they got ahold of my debit card and started charging my card $376!!! I have no idea who this company is and didn't sign up with them.

The only thing I can think of is someone at my dentist's office used my card and got kickbacks from this company. So scary!

Nancie W.
Camano Island, WA
5 Stars

June 01 2020 3:56PM

My dentist of choice is an out-of-network provider - with any insurance. They charge more but do outstanding work. They have had to redo many work done by my previous in-network dentist that I used for years - so it's worth it for me to pay more to get the job done right the first time.

I'm so thankful that my employer chose Guardian Dental as our provider - they have covered so much and even have a rollover plan that has come very handy when I maxed out my yearly benefit. I am extremely satisfied and I hope my employer never changes provider.

J S.
San Antonio, TX
1 Star

March 11 2020 1:34PM

Don't waste your time. They SAY they'll pay X amount but after their 'dental experts' look at it, it's deemed "unnecessary" or "not a good idea as the tooth has peridontal damage'. and this is AFTER a letter from a periodontist. What a bunch of THIEVES. Over $7000 in claims and they paid NOT ONE NICKEL.

Diane D.
Pensacola, FL
1 Star

March 04 2020 11:18PM

Policy was canceled as soon as I used my coverage but GUARDIAN DID NOT INFORM me of their cancellation action until 2 MONTHS later so that they could deny payment for services used within the 2 months lag (which was the only time I used my coverage). Guardian claimed my policy was cancelled due to non payment of premiums but I had every months cancelled check (cashed by Guardian within the allowed timeframe).

Their first lie could not hold up so they lied again and they then blamed the NYS Marketplace which I found to be another false excuse...GUARDIAN just wanted to cancel my policy so that it could refuse to pay for dental services used. I will continue to fight until this issue is CORRECTLY RESOLVED, Guardian should NOT be allowed to SCAM its subscribers.

Filomena B.
Marlboro, NY
1 Star

January 13 2020 9:31PM

Horrible customer service. I was instructed to apply for reimbursement online after payment was required at the time of service. Payment was incorrectly submitted to the dentist. It was their error. Their response was that it is my responsibility to contact the dentist myself to correct their error.

Steven H.
Fort Myers, FL
1 Star

December 04 2019 3:55PM

In October, my dentist, Leslie **, DDS, submitted (below) authorization to perform a crown procedure. We know that Guardian has done everything to delay this request as I was on the phone with Guardian for approximately 50-minutes. Guardian claims that they received the request from Dr. ** on November 25, 2019 but this is factually misleading.

Guardian received all pertinent information in October or a month earlier from Dr. **. Guardian does not need 56-days to make a determination. We know it is your intent to push this out to 2020 as it avoids your 2019 obligation and disqualifies 2020 coverage due to the $1,000 maximum. I am going to schedule the procedure, pay out of pocket and submit the expense to Guardian. If Guardian elects to deny this legitimate claim, I will pursue this in small claims. I pay monthly for this terrible insurance and no dental office or policy holder should have to endure these unnecessary delays..

Derek R.
Plymouth, SELECT A STATE
1 Star

September 14 2019 9:55PM

Totally agree with the reviews. These guys are crooks. Take your money and don't pay any benefits, even with one of their preferred providers. Customer service is terrible. I've called repeatedly, and never received any helpful information. Talk to someone from outside the United States and for whom English is not their first language. Clearly, they're outsourcing their customer service. EOBs are incomprehensible. Website is similarly worthless.

Katie T.
Seattle, WA
1 Star

September 07 2019 9:57AM

I was told by my dentist that I needed a crown because a right lower molar (30) had a crack. The dental office told me the Guardian approved $600 since that was the remainder of the allowed amount which could be claimed for dental work on me this year.

After the work was done, Guardian paid ZERO dollars and I ended up having to pay an entire amount of $1945. Now I was told my cost would be $1206 after insurance paid its amount (50%). After several phone calls to the Guardian and my dentist, it seems the insurance said they needed more information, a detailed description “from my dentist of why I needed a crown?" What? They said my dental X-Rays were not enough to show I needed a crown. You know what? I think Ineed a new insurance and a new dentist!

Paula S.
Gig Harbor, WA
1 Star

August 20 2019 9:36PM

Started with a dental appointment for a cleaning on April 16th 2019 indicated and showed that I need a crown placed on my right side of my mouth. Submitting this to the insurance company from my dentist and received back a denial and insured predetermine of the benefits which showed that a 1392 submitted charge would leave me with a considerable amount of 886 to pay out for the dental services. Dental company reissued another submission 2 lower and approve the denial once again and receive back a revised version amount of 460. I'm going back to the dentist for the appointment finally for the crown today.

On August 20th 2019 dentists then takes another film and finds that instead of the crown needed now because of time wasted then a root canal is needed before the crown can be then put on the tooth of the mouth which becomes more time wasted and more pain involved over a 5-month ordeal trying to communicate this glitch of their time wasted on my part from a conversation with a supervisor by the name of Tom last name initial ** indicated and blamed more the dentist for not submitting information that they first denied and preceded 2 state that just because it was time allotted that it wasn't their fault and that any more deductions or credits are null and void without giving me any other kind of resolution for their Assumption of thinking that a crown wasn't really needed and to waste so much time that now a root canal is required and then a crown after which only adds on more expense to the customer me in and more pain to me.

This company Guardian Life Insurance has no respect for their own customers and assumes that they know best.

Cindy S.
Huntley, IL
1 Star

August 10 2019 9:38PM

Do not bother with this insurance. I thought everything was fine. I got work done, they paid their part, I paid mine. Months later, they made the providers refund them everything. I'm now receiving bills for 100% of everything I had done. I verified coverage and network before proceeding with all work. Guardian dental insurance is a scam.

V V.
Joliet, IL
1 Star

August 05 2019 4:17PM

My dentist put 2 crowns in my mouth because of broken fillings from childhood. One old filling was deep and dentist said it needed immediate attention to avoid infection and future complications. So both were done within a month of each other. Dentist put in claim, which was delayed because Guardian requested original copies of xrays which were sent asap. Then Guardian claims that they weren't the right size and dentist said they were the industry standard #2. So on and on for several months. Still not solved. I finally filed a complaint with the state attorney generals office for insurance fraud. I am paying the insurance every month through payroll deductions. Feel this is an outrage!!!

Edward j S.
Kingston, NY
1 Star

June 20 2019 4:17AM

Terrible company. I have a great dentist but this company refuses to pay what they promise. They had a professional look at my bill and decide I didn't need certain dental repairs. In the process of appealing them. Very bad insurance company. I regret using them.

Tessa Z.
Slc, UT
1 Star

February 27 2019 7:29PM

Horrible, dismissive and rude. Worst I’ve ever experienced. Being a paying customer has no bearing on customer service. They collected my premiums for 7 months but never activated our coverage. Then the coverage was useless because the insurance dentist thought he knew better than the dentist who did the work, so denied a 6 month old claim, saying a crown doesn’t need to be attached to anything.

Katherine T.
Tacoma, WA