The benefits of good dental hygiene are obvious to most people: whiter smiles, better breath and greater self confidence. Unfortunately, nearly half of Americans don’t have dental insurance, preventing them from getting the dental care they need.¹

            But did you realize poor dental care among your employees may be hurting their overall health and your bottom line?

            Regular dental care is key in maintaining overall health — and seeing a dentist for routine visits can help detect oral health problems early when treatment is likely simpler and more affordable.²  According to a 2013 article from the Mayo Clinic, good dental care can help detect or prevent these common but serious health conditions: diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and premature birth.

Stronger teeth, stronger bottom line

            Providing your employees strong dental insurance can not only help keep them healthier, but can also protect your budget. Employers rank dental insurance as the fourth most-important benefit needed to attract and retain employees.³ Employees, meanwhile, value it even higher – saying it’s the second most-important benefit following medical insurance.

            A lack of dental coverage may be hurting your company’s productivity. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year related to oral health problems or dental visits (2012).

            Offering a strong dental insurance product doesn’t have to be costly. While traditional group plans can be too expensive for many employers, individual coverage can be offered on a voluntary basis, giving employees access to important protection at no cost to you.

            Here are some key features of a strong dental insurance plan that you’ll want to offer your employees:

• Freedom to see any dentist: Are employees allowed to visit any dentist and receive the same benefit amounts?
• Focus on wellness: Are employees able to receive immediate benefits for preventive services such as routine cleaning and X-rays to promote oral health?
• Comprehensive coverage: Does the plan cover a wide range of dental procedures from fillings and X-rays to crowns and root canals?
• Fixed benefit amounts: Does each procedure come with a fixed benefitamount so there’s no guessing how much the plan will pay?
• Simple: Is the plan simple to understand and explain by not having deductibles, coinsurance, or pre-certifications?
• Guaranteed issue: Are all eligible employees qualified for coverage?
• Network: Is there a large network allowing employees to access discounted dental services?
• Portable: Can employees keep their coverage with no rate increase if they change jobs or retire?
• Rate stable: Do rates remain stable without being subject an annual renewable process?
• Riders: Are there options to purchase additional benefits through riders for orthodontics or vision coverage?
• Guaranteed renewable: Are the policies renewable as long as premiums are paid?

            When you’re trying to keep employees happy at work, and provided them valuable financial protection they want and need, consider dental insurance to keep them – and you – smiling.

1  Oral and Dental Health FastStats, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013

2  Questions About Going to the Dentist, American Dental Association, 2014

3  Employee Benefits at a Crossroads: Today’s Marketplace, LIMRA, 2014