Small Business Dental Plan

Before you decide on the small business dental plan you will offer your employees, consider what the general needs of your workers are likely to be. The typical age, gender, family situation, and usual length of employment are a few factors that will help you narrow the bewildering array of choices you have before you when deciding upon a small business dental plan.

Young workers in their 20s and 30s generally have few dental health problems, but benefit significantly from preventive care. The younger generation is usually very aware of how to take good care of their health, but often let things slide because they are busy with family and building a career.

Encourage your young workers to visit the dentist on a regular basis, and to combine appointments with children and other family members wherever possible to save time and productivity. A regular checkup twice a year can prevent many lost days from neglected dental problems, so be flexible when your employee wants to take a long lunch to visit the dentist.

Restorative procedures are common among the 40-50 year old set. The baby boomer generation is concerned with keeping up appearances and will often opt to have extensive work done on their mouths. Most of these procedures are not covered 100 percent by the most common small business dental plans.

You must look for plans that offer discounts on the procedures which are likely to be important to your employees. Even extensive cosmetic surgery could be subject to a discount under the right small business dental plan.

Seniors and retirees have their own special needs. If you offer dental benefits to people who have retired from working at your company through a complete retirement package, your small business dental coverage must account for employees in their 60s and 70s. This age group needs a more comprehensive plan.

Some small business dental plans will discount such procedures as bridges, dentures, caps and crowns. Your retirement-aged employees and retired employees will most certainly need these procedures. Living on a fixed income from a pension and social security is not easy, and supplemental dental insurance is a welcome benefit.

There are four main types of small business dental plans: DPPOs (dental preferred provider organizations), DHMOs (dental health maintenance organizations) dental indemnity insurance, and discount dental insurance. Each of these types of small business dental plans has advantages and disadvantages which must be weighed against your employees’ dental needs, and there is a lot of overlap among the programs and policies offered. A discount dental plan offers you incredible freedom, flexibility, and savings.

People with dental insurance visit the dentist twice as often as the uninsured. This can make a significant impact on the productivity and bottom line of your company. Lost productivity because of dental problems costs you money; short appointments for check ups and routine cleanings do not impact your bottom line nearly as much.

Design your small business dental plan around the needs of your employees, and you will find they are motivated to maintain their own health.