Hi, Alan Friesen here certified Employee Benefits specialist, I usually share with you tips about optimizing the value of your employee benefit program. Well, this time I'm going to share you a tip of a colleague of mine. His name is Dawn McGowan. He's out of Oakville, Ontario and he is also a certified Employee Benefits specialist. And he shared with me a very, I think, impressive process to optimizing the value out of your dental programs. And let's call it a dental triage.

Really what it involves is that the plan members answer questions about their their health and about situations with their dental health. And then the dental program pays for more services but also requires more dental care, preventive dental care, and it's not just preventative dental care. It's also preventative care of the person's overall health. So there's a situation where people and it's only about 15% of the population where they have this dysbiosis. So, a negative oral film or bacterial film in their mouth, which causes advanced dental decay and advanced negative consequences for their health. So the the plant members check off about these conditions and if they have these conditions, then they are granted greater access to dental care, greater access to medications and oral rinses, etc.

To try and improve that situation of not only their dental health but their overall health. Now, I know that most plans out there have a normal frequency of six months or nine months or 12 months, traditionally, and these are for normal checkups and cleanings. Traditionally, it was six months it was always six months for normal checkups and cleanings. Now there's absolutely no rational reasons scientific reason why an adult with good health would have to go to the dentist every single Months who's doing preventative dental care. So those numbers came from basically tell toothpaste advertising from television in the 1950s. The reality is a lot more extended out there.

Matter of fact, the the in the UK there at health research that they do suggest that a 24 month recall for an adult, a healthy adult who did does adequate home care is sufficient. So 24 months way, way different of course, than the normal six 912 months, that kind of thing. So this process involves changing the dental frequency to a larger amount or a longer period I should say, for the average person and then for the person who has the above average need the greater need providing them greater resources. And the intent is to gear those resources to get the best effect for those people but not negatively affected people who are otherwise healthy and and do adequate home care. I know that the dental community won't like it of course, because you know, those recalls those regular recalls are certainly a source of steady income for you for them.

But, you know, if it doesn't contribute to the health of that individual, is it something as a plan sponsor that you want to fund? So dental triage, very interesting concept, something that I'm fairly excited about. If you'd like to know information or about that or discuss it further, please contact me my informations on the screen, and I will gladly tell you everything I know about it. Thanks much. Keep well