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justindleader@gmail.com
The Tooth, the Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth.
“I thrill when I drill a bicuspid.” – Dr. Orin Scrivello (Steve Martin) from Little Shop of Horrors.
Dental anxiety and phobia are extremely common. It has been estimated that 9% to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of anxiety and fear. That’s about 30 million to 40 million people. In a survey by the British Dental Health Foundation, 36% of those who didn’t see a dentist regularly said that fear was the main reason.
Earlier this year I avoided a trip to the dentist for what was initially mild tooth pain. In a matter of 72 hours my face quickly ballooned to the size of Dizzy Gillespie blowing a trumpet. What could have been treated had I gone to the Dentist at the first sign of trouble turned into an Abscessed Tooth. Altogether, and partly due to my stubbornness as well as fear of dental work, I lost almost 40 hours of productivity in the course of a week. The pain of an Abscessed Tooth I wish upon no one.
Those of us in Human Resources, Benefits and Insurance have a unique job in providing what many see as a very valuable and important benefit for employees, spouses and dependents; no matter how much of a nightmare it is for some employees! Simply put, having access to an in-network dentist should be the least of employee’s worries as they go to the dentist. Provider networks are just one of many building blocks that determine the value of a dental benefit plan. The others including self-funded vs fully-insured, plan design, quality, claims management, and promotion of overall employee health.
As we are in the midst of “Open-Enrollment” season do not miss an opportunity to communicate some of the great benefits of providing a dental plan not only to employees but to the C-suite as well.
These are just a few of the possible benefits in offering a dental plan. An effective communication and education strategy should help to alleviate employee fear if not allow for a better understanding of the importance of dental care. In an era where benefits are shifting both in cost as well as breadth of offering, dental is still seen as a staple of any robust and competitive plan.
Justin Leader, Vice President of Business Development at Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc assists multi-national organizations regarding corporate duty of care and travel benefits. Special Risk is an insurance brokerage firm that focuses on helping employer clients select and administer employee benefit plans.