Ucwellness2013
Ucwellness2013
Ucwellness2013
Ucwellness2013
Ucwellness2013

The missing piece of total wellness (and how UCWellness plans to put the puzzle together)

Sept. 11, 2013
Discussion about the link between oral health and systemic health has been getting louder and more frequent recently. It only makes sense – the mouth is a part of the body.

September 10, 2013

Talk about the link between oral health and systemic health has been getting louder and more frequent recently. It only makes sense – the mouth is a part of the body. Despite medical and dental insurance being separate entities, of which you can have neither, both, or either one, the mouth still acts as part of the body, communicating our thoughts, chewing our food, and passing bacteria from our gums into our arteries.

And yet, dental insurance – or dental benefits – isn’t something many of Americans have. It’s not the primary concern of many companies as they seek to find a plan that’s perhaps enticing to their employees, and it’s not the most expensive to add to your health insurance plan.

But it could certainly be better. It could provide more services and be more like insurance and less like a benefit. And by being so, it could lower the cost of insurance all around. At least, according to United Concordia Dental.

What dental pros shoud know about the oral-systemic link: Interview
Blood in the sink: What dental pros should know about the oral-systemic link, part I

I recently sat down with representatives of United Concordia to talk about their new marketing campaign, UCWellnessSM. The campaign aims to close the gap between oral health and overall health.

The campaign is a result of a health study that looked at medical and dental claims for nearly two million people over the course of three years. They found that some of the people with chronic conditions like heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes also had gum disease.

The study also found that by providing dental treatment and maintenance to those with gum disease, their overall medical costs – those paying for the treatment and maintenance of their chronic conditions – decreased.

Since every other adult over 21 (literally one of every two) suffers from a chronic medical condition, this revelation is huge.

“And while they’re dealing with an addictive behavior, we’re not. Nobody’s addicted to periodontal disease.”

“We’re trying to look at the bigger picture,” said James Bramson, DDS, chief dental officer at United Concordia. “These strategies are part of health reform in the broader context, and it turns the typical dental-medical insurance paradigm on its head. If we’re able to improve the benefits a company offers its employees, we know the dental services cost will go up, but this is offset by a decrease in medical services.”

“Based on research, all our members are engaged in a journey toward wellness,” added Nuvan Daissanalke, vice president of marketing at United Concordia. “Whether we take charge or not, everyone’s on this journey. With comprehensive outreach, we can truly deliver value to the communities we serve, while delivering value to our internal shareholders.”

See more about what UCWellness is doing to promote overall health, starting with the mouth, at UCMissingPiece.com.

Lauren Burns is the editor of Proofs magazine and the email newsletters RDH Graduate and Proofs. She is currently based out of New York City. Follow her on Twitter: @ellekeid.