Medical and dental insurance are like peanut butter and jelly. They just go together when employees inquire about benefits, which is why we are just as active in the group dental insurance marketplace as we are in the medical marketplace.

In fact, according to a study conducted by LIMRA, dental insurance is the second most requested benefit by employees. What’s more, about 89 percent of large employers offer some type of dental benefit to their workers, according to the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP).

Being protected by dental insurance and using it wisely are essential safeguards for your employees and their families. Unlike medical related diseases, which can be both unpredictable and catastrophic, most dental ailments are preventable. Dental coverage provides preventive care, including regular checkups and cleanings, which helps maintain good oral health. With regular visits to the dentist, problems can be diagnosed early and treated without extensive testing, elaborate and expensive procedures, and exorbitant costs to both the employer and employee.

For most of the dental plans offered by employers, employees are estimated to pay between 10% and 50% of the total benefit cost. A typical dental plan design is as follows:

	In Network	Out of Network
Preventive	100%	100%
Basic	100%	80%
Major	60%	50%
Annual Maximum Benefit	$1,500	$1,500