United Concordia Dental is helping to change the way Americans think about dental wellness by creating the products, partnerships and technologies essential to connecting consumers to a healthier life through a healthier mouth. Click the video to learn more.
Research continues to connect oral and overall health
In 2012, United Concordia Dental presented a landmark oral health study to a scientific audience. In this study,¹ United Concordia Dental partnered with its parent company Highmark Inc. and respected researcher Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, D.M.D., professor and dean emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, to examine an initial database of more than 1.7 million patients who had both medical and dental insurance during a three-year period. The results showed a connection between the health of the mouth and the health of the body, and that significant medical cost savings can be achieved when patients with certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes, receive ongoing treatment and maintenance for gum disease.
In 2014, United Concordia Dental followed up with additional research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which shows that significant cost savings and reduced hospitalizations are possible when consumers with other medical conditions, like heart disease or stroke, or who are pregnant, effectively treat their gum disease.² Drawing on five years of data, these new findings also look at the amount of cost savings possible when individuals with more than one chronic condition treat their gum disease. This research reinforces to doctors and patients the importance of oral health to overall health and more affordable treatment of chronic disease.
United Concordia Dental's message is simple: With better oral care, individuals could see improvements in overall health, plus savings in medical costs and reduced hospitalizations. And United Concordia Dental's strong network of dentists is instrumental in spreading the word—to one customer at a time.
¹ Jeffcoat, M., et. al., Periodontal Therapy Reduces Hospitalizations and Medical Costs in Diabetics, Abstract, American Association of Dental Research, March 23, 2012.
² Jeffcoat MK, Jeffcoat RL, Gladkowski PA, Bramson JB, Blum JJ, Impact of Periodontal Therapy on General Health: Evidence from Insurance Data for Five Systemic Conditions, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47 (2014) pp. 174–182. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.04.001.
