By Cory Bauer
Choosing a dental carrier for your employee benefits plan may not be easy. There are several factors to weigh when assessing your options, including cost, covered services, and plan designs. One of the most important aspects to consider is sometimes overlooked altogether — the strength of the provider network.
A large nationwide network gives your employees more dentists to choose from and provides them with greater access to care. A larger network increases the chance your employees’ current or new dentist will be in-network and allows an employee to see a dentist when working remotely, traveling for work, or away on vacation.
Here are some of the benefits of using an in-network dental provider:
- 1. Lower cost of services – an in-network provider has agreed to a reduced cost for
services and negotiated fees that are usually lower than the dentists’ standard fees. - 2. Quality assurance – a dental network has quality control measures to ensure
participating dentists meet certain standards. - 3. Ease of use – patients can find in-network providers through the plan’s online directory and benefit from a streamlined billing and claims process.
- 4. Preventive care – dental networks often promote preventive care by covering routine checkups and cleanings at no cost to the patient, which leads to better oral health.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) networks
Nearly all dental insurance plans, around 86%, use a PPO structure with a network of dentists. In-network dentists have contractually agreed to provide discounts for services to coveredindividuals. Patients can visit any licensed dentist, but will pay less when choosing an in-network dentist.
Delta Dental’s Premier Network
In addition to Delta Dental’s PPO network, they also offer a Premier Network of dentists that’s broader than the PPO. While dentists in the PPO network offer the largest cost savings to members, dentists in the Premier Network offer slightly smaller, yet beneficial, cost savings.
With the addition of the Premier Network, Delta Dental plans often provide a better net
effective discount than other insurance carriers. This means the overall benefit to the employer is greater when you average the total plan savings across all participating employees.
Did you know Delta Dental has the nation’s largest network? With 145,000 dentists in the combined PPO and Premier networks, finding a dentist close to home is easy.
The importance of choice
The size of a dental insurance network is important because it offers employees more choices regarding their oral health. Consider the consequences of choosing a dental insurance plan with limited choice: employees have to change dentists or they may opt out of coverage altogether.
Dental coverage is a critical part of healthcare. People with dental benefits are more likely to go to the dentist to get preventive care (83%) compared to those without according to Delta Dental’s 2024 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report.
Continuity of care and comfort with a provider is important in maintaining regular visits to the dentist and a confident, healthy smile. When selecting which insurance carrier to choose for your employees, remember to consider the network size and how network choice will affect your employees and their oral health habits.
Cory Bauer is Director of Sales and Customer Relations for Delta Dental of Iowa.
