Insider Update

Each February, Children’s Dental Health Month serves as an important reminder that dental health is a central part of the overall health of children. Ensuring access to excellent dental care early on is crucial for your clients providing dental coverage options to their employees with children.

Here’s a closer look at why Delta Dental is a top option for your clients when it comes to giving their employees the best dental coverage for kids.
 

Preventive care

To help keep children healthy, Delta Dental plans emphasize preventive care, with many important regular services like cleanings and exams covered at low or no cost to the member. Regular preventive care allows for the early detection of potential dental problems, identifying issues before they escalate. Poor oral health has been linked to a number of systemic conditions, including heart disease and diabetes, so early preventive care contributes to maintaining a child’s overall health for life.

Introducing kids to preventive dental care early also helps foster the development of lifelong habits, reducing dental anxiety and making children more likely to prioritize oral health as they grow older.

Flexibility

With Delta Dental plans, children aren’t required to use the same dentist as their family members. Members can choose a dentist that their child is comfortable with or one that’s closer to the child’s school.

More options give your clients and their employees more opportunity to make informed decisions about their care and cost.  
 

Fluoride treatments

Fluoride, also known as topical fluoride or fluoride varnish, is a common treatment given to children to help strengthen enamel and prevent tooth decay. Most Delta Dental PPO™ and DeltaCare® USA plans cover fluoride treatments for children up to age 19.
 

Sealants

Sealants help protect children’s permanent teeth by covering them with a thin plastic coating. They’re an effective way to combat tooth decay, preventing 80% of cavities for two years and continuing to protect teeth for up to four years.

All Delta Dental plans offer sealant coverage, so members can often get their children’s protective sealants at little or no out-of-pocket cost. Coverage can vary by plan.
 

Orthodontics

Clients often consider orthodontic coverage for kids one of the most sought-after, important benefits to offer in order to attract and maintain top employees. They’ll be glad to know that standard DeltaCare USA plans cover child orthodontics at set copayments with no maximums or deductibles, and employer groups can also choose to add orthodontics to any Delta Dental PPO plan.

Either way, they’ll be getting top orthodontic coverage for employees’ child dependents when they choose Delta Dental. In fact, our plans can help cut the cost of braces in half.

All our plans that include orthodontics cover all three phases of orthodontia: limited, interceptive and comprehensive. We also offer clear aligner coverage, like Invisalign™, in all plans at the same rate as traditional braces, so long as the service is performed by a licensed dentist authorized to administer care in the patient’s state. Other benefits of orthodontic coverage by Delta Dental include:
 

• Extractions. Tooth extractions for orthodontic purposes are included in our orthodontic coverage.
• No-loss orthodontic coverage. When clients switch over to our plans and members or members with kids have orthodontic treatment in progress, we allow them to continue treatment with their existing orthodontist, paying only the out-of-pocket costs that were previously negotiated.

Additional value-adds and perks

Here are some of the unique family-friendly perks that come with Delta Dental plans:
 

• Teledentistry¹. With Delta Dental PPO plans, members have the option to have mobile access to a pediatric dentist through virtual dentistry. It’s a great option for members who can’t miss work or have their child miss school, and it helps give peace of mind in emergency situations. No special equipment is required for teledentistry appointments beyond an internet-connected computer or mobile device with a camera.
• LifePerks. All Delta Dental members have access to great family-friendly discounts for theme parks, childcare, groceries, tutoring and more through our LifePerks program.
• BrushSmart™. All Delta Dental members also get great discounts on popular oral healthcare products for the whole family, like new electric toothbrushes for kids, with our member discount program BrushSmart.
• Family-friendly resources. Educating members and their families about dental care gives them incentive to take advantage of Delta Dental plan benefits. Delta Dental helps clients, members and their kids get savvy about caring for their oral health with abundant resources, including our Wellness library, tooth-friendly recipes kids will love and  informative videos on topics from teething trouble through caring for teeth with braces. Got Spanish-speaking groups? All the same great articles, recipes and  videos are also available in Spanish.

¹ Teledentistry is not a covered benefit of DeltaCare USA plans.