If you choose to offer your employees a dental care plan, providing them with a valuable health benefit is probably your primary motivation. However, when your employees take advantage of those plans, particularly preventive dental care, you also reap the benefits.\r
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According to a study by Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, companies that encourage employees to use preventive dental care can slash the cost of group policies for their employees.\r
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The study analyzed claims data from 2011 to 2017, and divided employers into two groups: high-preventive-utilization and low-preventive-utilization. In other words, they compared the rates at which preventive dental care was accessed by workers, between different companies.\r
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Over the six-year period, the high-preventive-utilization group spent 39 percent more on preventive care, but 86 percent less on major and restorative dental services. This translated into a 16 percent savings on dental care, overall, as compared to the low-preventive-utilization group.\r
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Because more than 90 percent of systemic diseases present oral signs and symptoms, routine preventive dental care also aids in early detection of many serious (non-dental) medical conditions. Therefore, accessing their preventive dental care benefits might also help your employees detect health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Routine dental care can even contribute to a healthy pregnancy. So, preventive dental care might also help to reduce overall expenditures on medical care, as well as the cost of sick leave and other workplace issues related to employee health.\r
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How can you urge your employees to utilize their preventive dental benefits? First, it is important for you to thoroughly understand your dental health package. Then, you can more effectively communicate those benefits to workers, and offer incentives to encourage their use.\r
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We’re happy to help you understand your dental health policy, so that you and your employees can reap the full benefits of it. Just give us a call and we will discuss your group plan.