United Concordia and Highmark
funded a study led by Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat of the University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine that shows how dental and medical insurance
industries can come together to have an impact on both cost and health. This study is a largest of its kind,
conducted using a base of 1.6 million people and including information for
three years. It is the most statistically conclusive study proving the
relationship between oral health
and medical cost savings.
An analysis of insurance records
over a 3 year period showed significant reductions in both medical costs and
hospitalizations for patients who received periodontal care. “[T]hat simple non-invasive periodontal
therapy can improve health outcomes in pregnancies and other systemic
conditions.”[1] With respect to diabetics, the mean number of
visits that patients went to see their physicians was half the number of physicians'
visits of those who did not have periodontal
treatment.
Periodontal disease is an
infection. It has to do with the inflammation. It has to do with infection and
getting it under control. Periodontal gum
diseases are preventable and are treatable at
a much lower cost than hospitalization and health care for more global diseases
and infections.
About 30 percent of the nation’s healthcare
dollars are spent on hospital care, about 22 percent on physician and clinical
services, and about 11 percent on prescription drugs. Dentistry on
the other hand accounts for only about 4 percent of the national healthcare
spending. So if you – if we can get in and improve the
spending in the dental, that’s going to affect the three other largest segments
of the healthcare spending. If we can
be of service
with your oral health care please give us a call for your
complimentary assessment.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta, GA 30328
404-256-3620
[1] Marjorie
Jeffcoat, DMD, Professor of Periodontics and Dean Emeritus at the university of
Pennsylvania.
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