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Assurant Employee Benefits Celebrates Children's Dental Health Month By Making New Decay-Fighting Products More Affordable

Posted on: Thursday, 8 February 2007, 06:00 CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Assurant Employee Benefits celebrates National Children's Dental Health Month by announcing an agreement with Epic Industries, a leading provider of dental care products, to increase preventive oral health product offerings to all dental plan members. Assurant Employee Benefits will offer discounts on dental products containing xylitol in order to make the product more accessible to its customers and help promote better oral health.

Millions of Americans are affected by poor oral health, and many of those are children.(1) According to the Centers for Disease Control, tooth decay is one of the most common infectious diseases known to mankind. Although largely preventable, it is the most common chronic disease of children ages 5 to 17 years.(2) Some of the problems associated with poor oral health in children may include pain, absence from school, and poor appearance of their teeth.

"National Children's Dental Health Month is a time to focus on preventive oral health education for our children and parents," said James Gimarelli, D.M.D., vice president of dental at Assurant Employee Benefits. "Healthy teeth and gums are among the foundation for lifelong health and wellness -- setting the stage for a positive dental care routine early in life helps children today and tomorrow."

Assurant Employee Benefits believes that making xylitol products more accessible to participants will aid in the fight against poor oral health in America's youth. Xylitol, a natural sweetener, has been proven to prevent tooth decay by reducing the amount of bacteria in the mouth.(3) Data from recent studies indicate that xylitol can reduce the occurrence of dental cavities in young children, schoolchildren, and mothers, and in children via their mothers, as bacteria that cause cavities have been proven to be transmissible through saliva.(4)

"Oral health habits are formed at a young age, and we are committed to providing dental products that encourage life-long oral health, at every stage in life," said Gimarelli. "The addition of xylitol products to our dental plan offering increases the opportunity to further protect the overall health of all participants -- children and parents."

The xylitol product line offered by Epic includes mouthwash, toothpaste, mints, and gum. First-time orders receive a 50 percent discount. All subsequent orders are eligible for a 25 percent discount. To take advantage of this opportunity, dental plan members can visit the Assurant Employee Benefits Web site at http://www.assurantemployeebenefits.com/ and click For Members. Discounts are currently unavailable with New York policies and plans.

The agreement with Epic is Assurant Employee Benefits' latest effort to lead the industry in preventive oral health offerings. Last October, Assurant Employee Benefits launched its "Lifetime of Smiles" program, which impacts most new dental plans effective 1/1/07 or later. The program focuses on the company's commitment to oral health, and includes the following as standard benefits:

-- four cleanings per year - two routine and two periodontal; -- tooth-colored fillings for posterior teeth; and -- brush biopsy procedures. (1) Oral Health: Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease and Tooth Loss At A Glance 2006, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2) Oral Health Resources Fact Sheet: Preventing Dental Caries with Community Programs, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (3) "Xylitol: A Dental Phenomenon," Access (an official publication of the American Dental Hygienists Association), August 2006. (4) "Xylitol and Dental Caries: an Overview for Clinicians," Journal of the California Dental Association, March 2003. About Assurant Employee Benefits

Assurant Employee Benefits specializes in quality employee benefits and services, including long-term and short-term disability, life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, dental coverage, and disability reinsurance management services. Assurant Employee Benefits also offers voluntary (employee-paid) disability, life, and dental plans. Products and services marketed by Assurant Employee Benefits are underwritten or provided by Union Security Insurance Company or an affiliated prepaid dental company. In New York, group insurance products and services are marketed by Assurant Employee Benefits and underwritten by Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York, which is licensed in New York and has its principal place of business in Syracuse, New York. Plans contain limitations and exclusions. Underwriting flexibility allows Assurant Employee Benefits to market tailor-made benefit plans for groups of most any size. Assurant Employee Benefits is located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Assurant Employee Benefits is part of Assurant, which offers specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected other markets. Its four key businesses -- Assurant Employee Benefits; Assurant Health; Assurant Solutions, and Assurant Specialty Property -- have partnered with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty market segments worldwide.

Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. The Assurant Web site is http://www.assurant.com/ .

About Epic Industries

Epic Dental is one of the world's leading providers of innovative dental care products containing xylitol, a natural sweetener clinically proven to reduce cavities by up to 80 percent. Utah-based Epic holds patents-pending on delivery mechanisms for xylitol. Epic is privately held and was founded in 2003.

Epic carries a comprehensive line of xylitol products, covering a range of gum, mints, toothpaste, mouthwash and more. Epic's distribution model is popular with dentists and their patients. In addition to making the product readily available at the dental offices, Epic works with dentists to ensure their patients have easy access to products. The Epic Web site is http://www.epicdental.com/ .

Assurant Employee Benefits

CONTACT: Liz Dunavant of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., +1-816-512-2246,dunavanl@fleishman.com

Web site: http://www.assurantemployeebenefits.com/http://www.assurant.com/http://www.epicdental.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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