PARSIPPANY, N.J. — May 27, 2014 — Delta Dental of New Jersey announces the launch of DentalCentral, an oral health website designed to help fill the void of information in the dental wellness space. The website is a one-stop resource for oral health information, answering questions ranging from how to get kids excited about brushing and flossing, to what kind of illnesses affect oral health, and more.
“We want to increase awareness that dental wellness is a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle,” said Dennis Wilson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey. “Good oral health leads to good overall health, while poor oral health can put us at risk for disease. With DentalCentral, we’ve put everything in one convenient location to make it easy to access the information you need.”
Risk assessment tool - input health information to determine overall dental health;
Video library - access a wide range of educational videos covering oral health topics such as tooth grinding, eating disorders, the importance of baby teeth, which toothbrush to choose, and more;
Oral health articles and white papers – in-depth information on topics such as caring for teeth, nutrition for oral health, brushing and flossing, holiday travel tips, and handling dental emergencies;
Kids Club -a kids' educational resource, including games, trivia, videos, coloring pages, and more;
Wisdom Tooth Newsletter - a publication featuring oral health and wellness tips for parents, school nurses, and educators;
Grin! Magazine - an online oral health magazine filled with news, notes, and entertainment to keep its readers’ smiles healthy and happy;
Mobile app - on-the-go access to a dentist search, claims and coverage, and member ID cards via mobile devices for ultimate convenience.
In addition to being a valuable resource for individuals, DentalCentral can also help employers to encourage employee wellness, according to Wilson.
“Once considered a nice extra, employee wellness programs are now being viewed as a strategic imperative,” he said. “The Mayo Clinic has reported that the indirect cost of poor health – such as missing work – can be two to three times higher than direct medical costs.1 In addition, healthy employees get sick less often, so they tend to miss less work. They are also inclined to be more productive and more likely to stay with a company providing wellness care.”
“Because oral health is connected to overall health, dental care is an important part of employee wellness programs,” he added. “By utilizing the tools and information available on DentalCentral, employees can optimize their health.
About Delta Dental
Delta Dental of New Jersey Inc. is New Jersey’s leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.5 million people through contracts with groups in New Jersey and Connecticut. In Connecticut, Delta Dental Insurance Company writes dental coverage on an insured basis and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs. For more information, visit www.deltadentalnj.com.
