Updated: 12/31/2019
Roughly 92.4 million work hours are lost each year on unplanned dental visits, according to a National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Those are hours your employees could be pouring into your company.
What’s the solution? Offer a group dental plan!
Providing dental benefits, in fact, can benefit your company in a number of ways.
3 Reasons to Get a Group Dental Plan
1. Competitive Benefits Package
Do you have trouble hiring top talent for your company over your competitors? Your benefits package could be the tipping point.
“62 percent of employees would leave their current job for one with better benefits”
— Better Benefits Survey from Care.com
Benefits are an important piece for attracting and retaining talent. Even current employees may be unhappy if they aren’t getting the care they need. Did you know dental is the second-most-requested benefit by employees nationwide?
Some companies may be startled to learn that 74% of employees want better benefits, according to BambooHR. Offering dental as an added benefit is one sure way to stand out from your competitors and satisfy your employees.
2. Decreased Number of Sick Days
On average, employees take 6.5 sick days per year. These sick days can cost employers $22.5 billion! Believe it or not, proper dental care can decrease this number.
There is a strong connection between our oral health and overall health. Each affect the other in a significant way, so paying close attention to both is very important.
Individuals without dental coverage are less likely to see a dentist – both for regular preventive exams and treatment for significant problems. As your employees gain access to affordable and quality dental care using their dental plan, their overall health will improve and their number of sick days will decline – not to mention the number of days spent in the office distracted by pain.
Delaying dental visits can also increase the cost of dental treatment, the pain experienced and the time required for treatment.
Offering dental benefits encourages proper preventive care for your employees, resulting in fewer dental emergencies and less time away from the office—as preventive visits often take less time than other dental treatment needed for major issues.
3. Boost Employee Morale
When your employees take care of their oral health—benefiting their overall health in the process—and feel valued by you, their employer, they’ll have a higher morale on the job, working harder and being more productive.
Where to Find the Best Group Dental Plan
Now that you understand the incredible benefits that come with offering a group dental plan to your employees, it’s time to find a dental plan that works best for your company.
One of the reasons many companies don’t offer or provide dental insurance to their employees is cost—or, at least, the misconception that it will be too expensive to offer.
Relative to some of the other benefits companies offer, dental is very affordable, especially when you consider all of your options:
1. Purchase a Traditional Dental Insurance Plan to Offer Your Employees
– Dental PPO plans – While these plans may be more expensive, they’ll give your employees more options when it comes to choosing their dental care (for instance, the dentist they want to visit).
– Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) – This option is more affordable. However, it will restrict its members to only a set number of dental professionals.
2. Have Employees Elect into Coverage at No Cost to You
One way to save money and please your employees is to offer voluntary dental benefits. You can find a group dental plan to offer your employees and ask that they elect into the dental coverage. When enough people sign up for a dental plan, the cost often goes down, making this a more affordable option for your employees than trying to find something on their own—which, if we’re being honest, many of them probably will not do.
The National Small Business Association conducted a survey and found that 59 percent of business owners polled said they offered dental insurance and 23 percent of those that did said they didn’t contribute anything to the plan.
3. Find an Affordable Group Dental Plan that Offers Everything They Need
A less familiar option many companies have not considered is offering a group discount dental plan. These plans are taking the nation by storm. They aren’t dental insurance; they’re what dental insurance should be!
Members pay a low monthly or annual rate for membership and gain access to significant discounts at dentists near them.
Think of it like a Costco or Sam’s Club membership. You pay a low membership fee for access to the products they have in store—discounted for its members. With a group discount dental plan, members pay a low monthly rate and get access to discounts at dentists in the plan’s network.
My Careington Care 500 Series dental plan has helped me out so much. It has given me access to a great dental group that is professional, patient-oriented, and whom I trust. I have a fairly extensive treatment plan, and I would not be able to afford it without my discount plan. I have recommended it to many people who do not have dental insurance through their employers or otherwise.
— Jennie W., Virginia
A lot of ballet companies do not offer their dancers health insurance and definitely not dental or vision coverage… If it weren’t for companies like 1Dental, I wouldn’t be able to get my teeth cleaned and maintain healthy teeth and gums.”
— Nadia A. Arizona
After comparing it to all of the other plans, I found I could save the most with 1Dental. The plan was immediate and my dentist was a member… What was going to cost me $3,100 wound up being $1,680, nearly cutting my cost in half.
— Charles F., Texas
I always knew I had bad teeth that really needed attention. Dentists are just way too expensive! Finally I decided to do something about it. That’s when I found out about the Careington Care 500 Series plan. And it’s a good thing, because it turns out I had 18 cavities! I can’t imagine how much that would have cost me without a dental plan. It has saved me so much money… On top of it all I got new eyeglasses as well!
— Nicholas H., Louisiana
As an employer, this is a great, affordable option you can offer your employees (and their families). And it comes with vision discounts, as well, so you’re really offering two benefits in one!
How Much Will a Group Dental Plan Cost?
The cost of a group dental plan will vary based on the type of plan you purchase and where you’re located. For instance, the average cost a California employer would pay for traditional dental insurance for his employees ranges from $20 to $50 per person per month.
You’ll also want to keep in mind what comes with this plan as you think about your employees. Most dental insurance plans will have waiting periods and exclude coverage for up to 12 months. They also may have an annual deductible of $50, pass 50% of the cost of procedures to the insured and have an annual benefit maximum as low as $1,000. These are additional things to consider as you look at your different group plan options.
However, group discount dental plans, mentioned above, cost roughly $9 per employee per month or $17 per employee + family per month without the waiting periods, deductibles or annual maximums that come with traditional dental insurance. If you have 50 employees, you only pay $450 per month for the group plan for your employees (or more if you want to include family coverage). Compare that to the $1,000 or $2,500 per month you might pay for a group dental insurance plan. A group discount dental plan is great option to consider for your company!
