Washington Dental Service Focuses on Prevention With New Benefits Program
Posted on: Thursday, 30 March 2006, 18:00 CST
SEATTLE, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Dental Service (WDS) is rolling out new dental benefits for employers that are designed to improve the oral health of employees and to lower costs as oral diseases are prevented and treatments become more effective.
"Prevention is the name of the game -- for the bottom line and the gum line," said WDS dental director Dr. Ron Inge. "These innovative benefits put the employer and employee needs in sync."
Recent medical research has linked periodontal disease with such serious health conditions as heart disease in baby boomers, and pre-term labor complications for women. Tooth decay is among the most common chronic illnesses among children, often leading to other problems associated with eating, speaking and learning.
The WDS plan is the first in the state to offer several new preventative treatments to address these problems through:
* Expanded sealant coverage for children and adults - Fluoride varnish and sealants -- the two covered benefits -- used together, have proven to reduce cavities by 93 percent. * Anti-microbial mouth rinse to improve oral hygiene for pregnant women - Women are seven times more likely to have a pre-term, low birth weight baby if the mother has periodontal disease. Research shows premature births declined by as much as 84 percent among women who received treatments for gum disease before the 35th week of pregnancy. The rinse is designed to provide a high level of prevention and jumpstart the healing process. * Prescription-strength toothpaste for problems faced by baby boomers - 75 percent of adults over the age of 35 are affected by gum disease. Studies have shown a four-fold increase in the risk of heart disease -- the leading cause of death in this country -- in people with gum disease. Prescription strength fluoride toothpaste has been shown to reduce root cavities caused by gum recession by 70 percent.
Over 2,000 companies across the state now offer these benefits to their employees. These include KCTS Public Television, Pacific Research Laboratories and Elder Health Northwest in the Seattle area.
The new benefits are the latest advance in WDS' pioneering efforts to use clinical data and science to design benefits plans that prevent disease rather than treating it after-the-fact, when the costs and health risks are much higher.
"Our evidence based dentistry approach continues to break new ground," added Dr. Inge. "We looked at 12 years of claims by millions of patients to demonstrate that these new treatments are cost-effective ways to dramatically improve oral health."
About Washington Dental Service
Washington Dental Service, a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, is the leading dental benefits company in the state of Washington, delivering high-quality, affordable dental care to more than 2 million people through employer-sponsored programs.
Contact: Sean Pickard, +1-206-528-2304, spickard@deltadentalwa.com
Washington Dental Service
CONTACT: Sean Pickard, +1-206-528-2304, or spickard@deltadentalwa.com
Source: PRNewswire
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