Inflection Point: The impact of COVID-19 on oral health and dental benefits

This archived material is for informational purposes only; the information provided was accurate at the time of publication but may no longer be current.  

Nearly a third of US adults said the COVID-19 pandemic made them appreciate their dental benefits more.

While dental claims declined during the early days of the pandemic, the dramatically lower rates seen in the first half of 2020 have largely recovered. That said, communication is key, as consumers want a deeper understanding of what’s covered by their dental benefits. Of US adults who have dental insurance, 32 percent don’t have a clear grasp of their benefits. Employers have an opportunity to select a dental carrier that provides flexible plans and a strong network to make it easy to use dental benefits. This is a key time for employers to play a role in providing digital tools and offering frequent communications to their employees that aid in awareness and education.

However, for certain demographics, oral healthcare has worsened significantly during the pandemic. Employers should be cognizant of where within their workforce opportunities exist for helping provide more access to dental care. Whether that means increasing contributions to dental benefits or improving employee communications to increase awareness around their dental coverage, employers can play an important role in helping improve their employees’ oral health.

Download Inflection Point: The impact of COVID-19 on oral health and dental benefits to find out more about:

• how the dentistry benefits landscape is evolving to improve access to all employees.

• what digital communications trends we should expect to see in coming years.

• considerations for employers as appreciation for dental benefits continues to increase.

Download report

Additional resources:

Join Guardian dental representatives on this webinar, How COVID-19 impacted dental benefits and oral health, to learn how employers can evolve their dental benefits plans to meet their workforce’s needs.

Post-pandemic, employees can expect a renewed focus on oral health as a key component of overall well-being. Provide your workforce with this handy Oral health quiz.