Lack of Preventive Dental Exams 

May be the Problem

Since moving to SelectHealth and Delta Dental for our insurance provider the college has been notified we have a higher incidence of usage and costs than is customary for a group our size. We wondered why this might be until more data came to light during a recent discussion with HUB International, our insurance broker.

With aggregate data supplied by Delta Dental to HUB we have learned that 30 percent of our insured employees made no visits to the dentist in our previous budget year (376 total - 150 of them were employees and the balance were spouses and children). This indicates that roughly one third of our covered members aren't getting any annual exams. It is very likely that higher dental costs are the result of a lack of preventive and timely care. HUB reminds us that in order for our members to accrue rollover dollars, we must visit at least once per year for cleaning and exam. Members receive cleaning and exam at no cost every 6 months.

The CSI Employee Wellbeing Program would like to encourage all our insured employees to take full advantage of our preventive dental services! The direct correlation between proper dental care and optimal overall health is highly recognized and documented.

According to Delta Dental, regular preventive care, early diagnosis, and treatment can help you avoid more costly dental problems that may develop or be worsened by lack of basic preventive care. For example, for non-preventive services, your share of the costs progressively climbs as the type of dental procedure becomes more involved. Many dental plans require a 20 percent coinsurance level if you need a cavity filled. More extensive procedures such as a root canal, crown, bridge or periodontal work (to treat gum disease) can require a 50 percent patient coinsurance level. The costs of such procedures can also be high in comparison to more basic services, sometimes costing upwards of $1,200.

Annual maximums (the total cost of care above which a dental program will not pay) are frequently in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 per person. As a result, you can find yourself running out of benefits if you or your family needs extensive dental work. Even under most prepaid dental plans, which advertise lower out-of-pocket costs with no deductible and/or annual maximum, there usually are significant copayments for major services.

Avoid the costs and discomfort of major dental work and advanced dental disease by visiting the dentist for routine checkups and keeping up good daily oral hygiene habits.

Judy Heatwole

Employee Wellbeing Coordinator

[email protected] | 732-6269

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