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Benefits Corner

How Dental and Vision Coverage can be Critically Important

Two of the most standard, well known policies you could purchase are dental and vision. Sure, most of us want a presentable smile and we for sure want to be able to see, but is there more to the benefits these policies allow us? Why are those annual or semi-annual preventative or routine checkups so important?

One of the most critical benefits of a dental policy is the ability to receive preventative services. Have you ever wondered why they call them “Preventative”? Easy answer, right? When you or a family member goes in for these visits, the dentist is focused on your teeth but he/she is also assessing for underlying, more critical health issues. They want to prevent them. One of the most common diagnoses in oral care is periodontal disease. It presents itself through loose teeth and receding or bleeding gums. If your dentist doesn’t identify and treat this early enough, it can lead to more serious health issues, especially for those with diabetes, coronary heart disease or those who are pregnant.

Similarly, symptoms of over 100 different illnesses can impact the eyes. Over 100 million people have diabetes or prediabetes today. Bleeding in the eye is a symptom. A doctor can find this bleed during a routine checkup. Shingles will impact 33% of us in a lifetime. Vision providers can spot it around the eyelids. Serious neurological illnesses like stroke and tumors can make the eyes cross. This can also be identified by a vision provider.

When providers don’t identify these illnesses during routine exams, they still play a very critical part in the treatment process as they can identify symptoms and encourage the patient to see a specialist. Again, early detection can be critical and two of our most standard coverages can be the key to the uncovering of a much more critical illness.

Column Provided by: Shane Pennington, Regional Sales Executive, Educational Benefits, Inc.

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