Dental Benefits: A Bridge to Oral Health & Wellness
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Guardian’s workplace benefits study reveals how having good dental benefits can make a positive impact in the workplace.
While most working Americans agree that healthy teeth are important, many adults simply avoid visiting the dentist for various reasons, including out-of-pocket costs. Our research reveals that working Americans who skip the dentist because of cost would greatly benefit from an employer that provides access to dental coverage and encourages preventive services.
Not surprising, the benefits of having regular dental exams goes beyond simply a nice smile. Visiting the dentist for preventative care has been correlated to one’s physical and emotional wellness, and in turn their overall well-being. Good oral health is linked to having better self-esteem, and gives working Americans’ peace of mind that they are taking the right steps to prevent certain health risks like gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss and other health issues that may end up being costly in the long term.
Our study also discovered a correlation between dental coverage and frequency of preventative dentist visits. Nearly eight of 10 working Americans (77%) with dental benefits at work visit the dentist one or more times a year, compared to less than half (40%) of those without any coverage.
In addition, an analysis of Guardian claims data found that employer groups with relatively high utilization of preventive care services spent less on major dental services compared to those groups with low preventive care utilization. Over a six-year period, groups that spent 13% more on preventive care experienced a savings of 86% on major services and 16% on combined dental claims costs compared to those with low preventive utilization.
Despite wider access to dental benefits today, certain workforce segments are less likely to have coverage and seek annual dental visits, including young Millennials, new hires, small business employees and low-income individuals and households.
Read the full study to learn how dental benefits can help employers improve the workforce and their bottom-line.