Beyond a Bright Smile, Healthier Teeth Prevent Disease
Oct. 19, 2005 (Des Moines, IA) — October is National Dental Hygiene Month and the Principal Financial Group® urges all consumers to schedule a regular dental check-up for good oral health. Beyond healthy gums and teeth, oral health plays a significant role in overall wellness. From the early detection of oral and throat cancer to the increased risks that gum disease poses for diabetics, heart disease sufferers, and pregnant women, routine dental care can prevent serious health issues.
Each year 2.5 million workdays are lost1 due to oral health problems, many of which could have been prevented by routine dental exams, covered through dental insurance. Educating consumers on the benefits of preventative dental care is important in protecting overall health.
"As employers ask their employees to become more responsible for health care decisions, the value of regular dental checkups can not be understated as part of an overall wellness plan," said Dr. Don Altman, dental director for the Principal Financial Group. "During National Dental Hygiene Month in October, we encourage everyone to take time to become educated about dental health and schedule a regular dental check-up to help prevent health problems before they begin."
The importance of preventative care is increasingly important as dental plans become more flexible, allowing members more choices in coverage. Programs like the Principal® Dental Series Employee Choice program give employers the ability to offer employees benefits with multiple plan types including customized deductibles, co-insurance, maximums and provisional levels. Also, members can choose from providers of their choice or access providers within a national dental network of more than 75,000 provider locations.
"We recognize employers are looking for increased flexibility and more choices as they respond to increasing health care costs," said Theresa McConeghey, dental product director for The Principal®. "Since our dental program provides customized solutions, we offer resources that educate employees and employers helping them make informed dental choices and prevent future oral health problems."
The Principal provides a number of tools in an effort to help members understand the value of dental care. Through "go2dental.com," located on www.principal.com, members can access a dental cost estimator, which calculates dental costs in a given zip code, and search for network providers who provide discounted charges and fees. Go2dental.com also features information about dental benefits and treatment options, articles on dental health, and an "Ask A Dentist," section where questions are answered by Dentistat-certified dentists.
About The Principal® Dental Series
The Principal Employee Choice dental program is part of The Principal Dental Series - touted as one of the most flexible dental products offered in the marketplace. Through Principal Employee Choice, employers with ten or more enrolled employees can offer two different dental benefits. Often known as core/buy-up or high/low plans, these benefits can be fully funded by employer, employee or a combination of both. For groups with more than 25 employees enrolled in the dental program, even more customization is available by varying service categories. The Principal Dental Series was first introduced to marketers in the fall of 2003 and has quickly become the company's leading dental product.
For more information about oral health or Principal Employee Choice dental program, visit www.principal.com
About The Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group®
(The Principal®)2
is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $187.8 billion in assets under management3 and serves some 15.2 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
1) Leatherman and McCarthy, Quality of Health Care in the United States: A Chartbook, 2002.
2) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
3) As of June 30, 2005.
