Dental Health

Dental health planning is a valuable part of staying healthy, but it’s also a financial investment that helps employers and individuals save money.


Four out of ten Americans lack any kind of dental benefits. Without convenient access to affordable care, people often delay seeking treatment. Some end up seeking costly hospital care for preventable dental conditions, like a toothache progressing to a severe abscess. In Florida alone, the cost of dental-related ER visits was more than $88 million in 2010, according to the Pew Center.

“Anyone concerned about financial health should be ensuring employees have incentive for oral care because prevention and early detection makes a major difference in financial and clinical outcomes,” said Nicholas Kavouklis DMD.

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Periodontology showed that patients with severe periodontal disease had 21 percent higher healthcare costs than patients with healthy gums. The disease produces bacteria that enters the bloodstream and can exacerbate other conditions, including expensive lung and cardiovascular problems.

“Many diseases, including diabetes and cancers, will manifest symptoms in the mouth before they are evident elsewhere,” said Dr. Kavouklis. “A dentist can identify warning signs, uncover risks, and help employers and employees avoid high-dollar claims.”