It happens every year around the same time. PTO requests start stacking up, team meetings get reshuffled and the wellness program that had solid momentum in Q1 goes quiet. And before long, you’re heading into fall with a team that’s more burned out than rested.

It’s a pattern when routines lose structure. The good news? Because it’s predictable, you can plan for it.

Here’s what the summer slowdown can look like across a team:

• Team schedules become harder to sync
  With people in and out throughout the summer, decisions slow down and projects fall out of rhythm.
• Childcare and family responsibilities increase
  School’s out and home schedules shift. So, your employees might be juggling more at home before the workday even begins.
• Healthy habits and preventive care take a backseat
  Summer has a way of making everything feel temporary. Even employees who aren’t on vacation get caught up in the season’s energy. And when that happens, it’s easier to say yes to fun over anything that requires effort or planning.
• Heat and hydration affect focus and energy
  The heat is no joke, especially in Arizona. Between fighting the sun during their commute and the higher risk of dehydration, that afternoon slump can hit earlier in the day.

Summer can ask more of your employees than it looks from the outside. And how you support them and their wellness can make a difference in how strong your team finishes the year.

Offer Flexibility Without Losing Momentum

Flexibility gives your employees room to handle the changes in their routines. It’s also one of the more accessible tools you have as an employer.

The key is setting expectations early so everyone knows what to plan around. A shared coverage calendar takes the guesswork out of who is handling what when someone is out. It also makes it easier for your team to take time off without feeling like they’re leaving a mess behind.

A short weekly priority check-in helps keep everyone on the same page when schedules are constantly shifting. It doesn’t have to mean adding another meeting to the calendar. Even carving out time for a quick update in the meetings you already have can help.

Summer Fridays, flexible lunch breaks or fewer meetings on the calendar are some other options that can take pressure off. Letting your employees skip the commute on days when the heat is at its worst can make a difference to their stress load too.

Did you know?
A recent HR industry survey found that 83% of employees say summer flexibility helps reduce burnout.

When employees have time to take care of themselves, they can show up as their best selves. And that’s what offering flexibility is really making room for.

Keep Wellness Simple and Seasonal

The programs that work best this time of year are the ones that fit the season instead of fighting it. These can be low-effort, low-cost and easy-to-join activities that keep participation alive when routines are stretched. Keeping wellness simple and seasonal means building activities around healthy habits employees are already trying to keep up with.

A few ideas you can work into your wellness program this summer:

• Hydration challenge
  It’s a simple team challenge that makes it easier to stay on top of drinking water. It gives your employees a little motivation to follow through and bring coworkers together.
• Adjust when and how you meet
  Morning is when energy is highest and the heat is still manageable. Schedule heavier discussions and one-on-ones earlier in the day or take those conversations for a walk. Save the afternoons for lighter work and your team will feel a difference.
• Step challenge
  A friendly team competition that fits into the day without adding to it. Walking during a break, taking the stairs or parking further away all count.
• Stretch or mindfulness breaks
  The afternoon slump hits harder in the summer. A five-minute stretch, breathing exercise or just a reminder added to the calendar is enough to give your employees a chance to reset.
• Healthy snack options
  Fresh fruit, nuts or simple grab-and-go options (like these healthy fruit popsicles!) in the break room are an easy way to help keep energy up.
• Team volunteer day
  A few hours outside the office gets people out of their routines and into something bigger than the workday. It’s good for the community and it’s good for the team.

Employee Wellness Goes Beyond the Physical

The usual separation from home, social and work starts to blur in the summer. It’s easier for stress to follow employees between home and work when their kids no longer have a set schedule or dinner needs to be earlier because there’s a flight the next morning. Even the smallest schedule change can throw someone’s day and mood off.

And stress doesn’t always look obvious. Sometimes it shows up as lower energy or having a harder time staying focused throughout the day. When routines shift both inside and outside of work, mental energy runs out faster.

That’s why supporting employee wellness goes beyond physical health. It means making sure they have the space to take care of their mental health. As employers, you have a big role in setting the tone. So do real check-ins and create a culture where employees don’t have pressure to always be “on.”

When employees have room to recharge mentally as well as physically, they come back focused and ready to keep the year moving.

Use Summer to Re-Engage Employees with Their Preventive Benefits

Use the slowdown to your advantage and re-engage your employees with their preventive benefits. Summer is the perfect time for employees to schedule the dental cleaning, eye exam or annual checkup they haven’t had the time to fit in to their regular routine.

Preventive visits catch small issues before they become bigger ones. A dental cleaning can spot a growing cavity. An eye exam can flag changes in vision before they affect how your employees feel at work. Supporting your team through the summer can help them stay healthier, more focused and ready for a strong finish to the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post How to Support Employee Wellness During the Summer Slowdown appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

Open enrollment arrives and suddenly you’re staring down a packet of benefits: medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, etc. You click through, check the boxes and move on.

But basic life insurance is different from your other benefits. You’ll never use it yourself. It exists entirely for the people who depend on you, and what you sign up for determines what they’re left with. Understanding what you have, how it fits alongside options like accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) and supplemental life insurance, and whether it’s enough can make a real difference for the people you’d leave behind.

How Basic Life Insurance Works

Basic life insurance is a contract between you and an insurance company. You enroll, name a beneficiary and confirm your coverage amount. In exchange, the insurer agrees to pay out a set amount of money, called a death benefit, to the person or people you’ve named as your beneficiary. When you pass away, your beneficiaries can use the money however they need to with no restrictions.

There are two types of beneficiaries to think about for your life insurance policy. A primary beneficiary is first in line to receive a life insurance payout. A contingent beneficiary steps in only if the primary beneficiary dies before you do. You can name more than one person for either role and specify the percentages each beneficiary should receive if you die before they do. Without a named beneficiary, your life insurance benefit is at risk of going through probate. That’s a legal process that can delay distribution and take the decision out of your hands entirely.

What Your Basic Life Insurance Payout Can Cover

When a family loses an income, the financial pressure doesn’t hit all at once. A basic life insurance payout can help at every stage:

• Immediate costs
  The first days and weeks bring expenses that can’t wait. Funeral arrangements, outstanding medical bills and the everyday costs of keeping a household running don’t pause for grief.
• Ongoing expenses
  Rent or mortgage payments, childcare, car payments and utilities run on a schedule that doesn’t account for a change in income.
• Future needs
  Some financial obligations take years to arrive. College tuition and retirement savings are easy to lose sight of early on but harder to address the longer they’re put off.

Basic life insurance is a financial security blanket that gives the people you love a financial foundation to work from if you die.

Basic Life Insurance Through Your Employer

Typically, basic life insurance is offered by your employer as a group plan. They select the plan, cover the premium and extend the coverage to everyone on the team. This means there is no individual underwriting and no medical exam. If you’re eligible, you’re covered and nothing comes out of your paycheck. The trade-off is that your employer also sets the coverage amount, usually calculated as a multiple of your salary. For some, that amount is enough. For others, there’s room to add more.

Since your employer arranges and funds the plan, the process of getting covered is straightforward. You’ll sign up during onboarding or open enrollment, and your HR department will let you know when your coverage goes into effect.

Basic Life Insurance on Your Own

Your coverage typically ends when your employment does. Whether you resign, get laid off or retire, your coverage stops on your last day or at the end of that month. Most plans give you 30 to 60 days to act before your options expire permanently.

Depending on your plan, you might have a few options available.

1. A conversion option lets you take your group coverage and turn it into a permanent whole life policy you own and fund yourself, independent of your employer. The coverage amount and cost will differ based on your situation, but it means you’re not starting from scratch. Terms vary by employer, so check with your company’s HR department before you make any moves.
2. Portability is a separate option that lets you keep your existing group term coverage by paying premiums directly to the insurer instead of through your employer. This provides coverage for a specific period of time, known as a term. Terms are commonly 10, 15, 20, or 30 years.

To be clear, the two are different: conversion turns your coverage into a permanent policy; portability keeps it for the original term.

Whether you’re working for an employer, changing jobs or self-employed, it’s worth considering getting an individual policy on your own. For many, this is a cost-effective option, particularly if you’re in good health. An individual policy follows you regardless of where you work, gives you full control over the coverage amount and stays in force as long as you pay the premiums. The younger and healthier you are when you buy, the lower your premiums typically are.

When Basic Life Insurance Isn’t Enough

Your employer’s coverage is a starting point—but it’s built around a formula, not your life. Depending on how many people rely on your income, what debt you carry and what your family would need to stay financially stable, the life insurance coverage your company provides may not stretch as far as you’d expect.

When basic life insurance isn’t enough, that’s where supplemental life insurance comes in. It’s voluntary coverage you elect on top of your basic plan. If you buy supplemental life insurance offered by your employer, you’ll choose the coverage amount and the premium will be taken from your paycheck directly. You might also see this called voluntary life insurance. The two terms are interchangeable, but the coverage works the same way.

During your initial enrollment period, you can often add supplemental coverage without a medical exam, up to a certain amount. But that window doesn’t stay open indefinitely. If you want to add more coverage later, medical underwriting might be required.

Basic Life and AD&D: Two Coverages, One Benefits Package

“Basic life and AD&D” may read like one item on your benefits summary. But they are two separate benefits, and they cover very different situations.

Basic life insurance pays out when you die, regardless of cause. AD&D, which stands for accidental death and dismemberment, pays out when a covered accident results in a death or serious injury. That includes the loss of a limb, eyesight, hearing or paralysis.

The benefit goes to you if you survive, or to your beneficiary if you don’t. That distinction is what makes AD&D different from basic life insurance. It’s not only a death benefit. Accidents can happen at any time: commuting, at home, going about your day. If that accident leaves you unable to work or facing expenses your other coverage doesn’t fully address, AD&D can help with rehabilitation costs or other financial needs during recovery.

The two coverages can be bundled together because they complement each other. Basic life insurance covers you broadly. AD&D adds a layer of protection specifically for accidents. What AD&D doesn’t cover is death from illness, chronic condition or natural causes. Those fall under basic life insurance. Together, they cover more ground than either one does alone.

Term Life Insurance vs. Permanent Life Insurance

The basic life insurance you get through work is almost certainly term coverage, but it helps to know what it means before deciding whether you need more.

Term life insurance covers you for a defined period. Through an employer, that period is your time with the company. Coverage is straightforward and premiums are lower, which is why it’s the standard for employer-provided plans.

Permanent life or whole life insurance doesn’t expire. It covers you for your lifetime and builds cash value over time. But it does cost more than term coverage. It’s a long-term financial tool, not just a safety net.

Which one makes sense depends entirely on your situation. Age, financial obligations and how long you need coverage all factors in. A financial professional can help you work through what makes sense for your situation.

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

There’s no universal answer, but most financial experts recommend having at least 10 times your annual salary in life insurance coverage. Here’s a simple way to think through it:

• Your income
  How many years of income would you family need to maintain stability? Multiply your annual salary by that number.
• Your debt
  These would be your outstanding mortgage, car payments and student or personal loans. What would your family need to pay off?
• Upcoming expenses
  College tuition or other significant costs you’re planning for.
• Final expenses
  Funeral costs and outstanding medical bills.
• What you already have
  Subtract your current basic life insurance coverage from the total. The gap is what supplemental life insurance is designed to fill.

A financial professional can help you get more specific. The right amount of coverage today may not be the right amount five years from now.

When to Review Your Life Insurance

Life insurance isn’t a one-time decision. The coverage that made sense when you first enrolled may not reflect your life today. The good news is that open enrollment comes around every year and it’s a natural moment to reassess.

Some life changes that should prompt you to review your life insurance:

• Marriage or divorce
• Having or adopting a child
• Buying a home
• A significant change in income
• Losing or changing jobs
• A dependent becoming financially independent
• Approaching retirement

One thing that’s easy to overlook in all of this: who you named as your beneficiary. Life moves fast. The person you listed when you first enrolled may not be the right one anymore. A few minutes once a year is all it takes to make sure the people you love are taken care of.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Basic Life Insurance Made Simple: What It Is and Why You Might Need It appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

Strawberry cheesecake for breakfast? Yes, please! A little prep the night before and your morning will be ready to roll. Tangy Greek yogurt, which is loaded with oral health nutrients like calcium and vitamin A for strong teeth and enamel, and sweet strawberries combine to create this creamy, delicious breakfast that tastes more like dessert. Mixed in a jar, all the hearty goodness is ready to grab and go, and will keep you satisfied well into your day.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
• ¼ cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• ⅔ cup unsweetened milk of choice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl until well combined.
2. Spoon mixture into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
3. Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.
4. Enjoy!

Want more recipes like this one? Our mouth-healthy recipe library is full of easy, delicious ideas you can add to your regular meal rotation.

The post Mouth-Healthy Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

Picking a dental plan feels straightforward enough at the time. You think “full coverage,” sounds right, so you enroll and move on. It’s only when your dentist recommends something major and puts a number to it that you start wondering what your plan is actually going to cover.

Dental insurance has more layers than it seems. Those layers matter a lot more when you’re looking at a crown or a root canal than when you’re booking a cleaning. Understanding how coverage works before major work starts means you’re not figuring it out as you go.

What Full Coverage Means in Dental Insurance

Full coverage dental insurance includes three categories of care: preventive, basic and major services.

• Preventive services include your cleanings and exams.
• Basic services generally include services like fillings and simple extractions.
• Major services generally include the bigger procedures like crowns, bridges, root canals, dentures and implants.

What varies across those three categories is how much of the cost the plan takes on. Preventive care is typically covered at the highest percentage. Major services are covered at a lower one. Three variables determine what you pay out of pocket:

• Deductible: what you pay before your plan starts contributing
• Coinsurance: your share of the cost after the deductible is met
• Annual maximum: the most your plan will pay in a benefit year. If treatment costs more than that, you pay the difference.

For major dental work, the annual maximum deserves a closer look. Major procedures can add up fast. If you need more than one major service in the same year, it helps to know how much your plan will cover before you hit that limit.

Understanding Major Services and Where Your Procedure Fits

In dental insurance, “major services” is just a category name. It doesn’t mean the procedure is complicated or rare. A surgical extraction, for example, is a common procedure that still falls under the major services category.

Procedures that typically fall under major services include:

• Crowns: a cap placed over a damaged tooth when a filling can no longer restore it
• Bridges: a fixed appliance that replaces missing teeth by anchoring to adjacent teeth
• Dentures: removable set of fake teeth to replace missing teeth. Full dentures replace an entire arch, partials replace some
• Root canals: treatment for an infected or damaged tooth nerve in a permanent tooth
• Surgical extractions: removal of teeth that require more than a routine pull
• Implants: a surgically placed post that supports a replacement tooth

Not every dental plan covers every major service. The gap between what you assume is covered and what is covered can be a costly surprise. Implants are a good example. Some individual plans include them, others don’t. Before you schedule anything, check your plan’s summary of benefits to confirm your procedure is covered.

Even when a procedure is covered, most plans set boundaries on how often they’ll pay for it. That’s called a frequency limitation.  A crown or a bridge is typically covered once per tooth within a defined period, not every time you need one. Before scheduling more work on the same tooth, it helps to know whether enough time has passed for the procedure to be covered again.

A pre-treatment estimate is a good place to start before any major work begins. Your dentist sends the proposed treatment to your insurance company before anything is scheduled. You get back a breakdown of what your plan covers and what you’ll owe. That way you know the numbers before you commit to anything.

Waiting Periods for Major Dental Work

A waiting period is a set amount of time after your plan starts before certain services are covered. If you sign up for a plan with a nine-month waiting period and then need a crown in month three, that crown won’t be covered by your insurance yet.

Waiting periods are most common with major services. How long that timeline is depends on the coverage you have. Some plans require a six-month waiting period before major services are covered. Others require nine. Some have no waiting period at all!

If you recently had dental coverage and didn’t experience a long gap, your new plan might waive the waiting period for major services. But it’s not always automatic. Check the benefits summary for your new plan before assuming major services are available right away.

The Right Plan for Upcoming Major Dental Work

When major dental work is on the table, the first question isn’t which plan has the best premium. It’s whether the plan covers major services at all and when.

Most Delta Dental of Arizona traditional individual plans cover major services with a waiting period. The waiting period may be waived if you meet specific criteria. Incentive plans start covering major services right away, and your coverage gets better the longer you stay enrolled.

If you need major dental work but aren’t quite ready to commit to a dental insurance plan, you might consider a discount plan. Discount plans are not insurance. They’re a membership program that lowers the cost of dental procedures with participating dentists. With Delta Dental Patient Direct there are no waiting periods, no annual maximums and no claims to file. It won’t cover the way dental insurance does, but it could help offset some out-of-pocket expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post What to Know About Dental Insurance Before Your Next Big Procedure appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

A child sitting in the back of a classroom, squinting at the board might not think anything is wrong. Blurry vision is just the world as they know it. Without vision screenings, it can stay that way for years quietly affecting how they learn, engage and experience everyday life. This Expert Voices event hosted community health leaders, school professionals, educators and funders to talk about the barriers to vision care access in Arizona and what it will take to address them.

Why Vision Care Gets Overlooked

Vision problems in children are common, but easy to miss. That’s why school-based vision screenings are effective. They’re often the first time a child’s vision is evaluated and can help identify any problems that need further evaluation by an eye doctor. But the screening itself is only part of the equation. What happens after is where things get complicated.

A referral must make it home to the parents. A parent must understand what that referral means and have the time and resources to act on it. Vision care can be expensive, and for families without coverage, even a basic eye exam can feel out of reach.

What makes it harder still is that the resources that do exist aren’t always connected. A lot of great work is already happening across Arizona, but it isn’t happening together. At every step between a screening and an appointment, there’s an opportunity for something to fall through the cracks—and too often it does.

Meeting Where the Need Is

Lasting progress starts with understanding what communities need, not just what the system can offer. Access to vision care isn’t a single problem with a single solution. The barriers look different depending on where you are and who you’re serving.

For some communities, it’s a staffing shortage. For others it’s outdated equipment, limited funding or lack of current educational materials. Getting to the root of those gaps and connecting the resources that exist to the people who need them is where the real work begins.

That’s why conversations like this one matter. As Executive Director of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, I’ve seen firsthand how bringing the right people together can change what’s possible. When community health organizations, providers and educators have visibility into what others are doing, a clear picture starts to appear—and so do opportunities to fill the gaps.

Looking Ahead

The challenges around vision care access aren’t new, and they aren’t unique. At the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, we’ve seen the same patterns in oral health for years: fragmented systems, awareness gaps and communities that are underserved. It’s not because no one cares, but because the right connections haven’t been made yet. Vision, oral health and overall well-being are more connected than people realize. And addressing one without the others only goes so far. That’s why whole-person care is more than a concept, it’s a framework worth building toward.

That’s encouraging. It means there’s a path forward, and we don’t have to start from scratch. We’re committed to being part of that work and grateful to the leaders across Arizona who are already in it.

—

This blog is part of the Expert Voices series. This series brings together leaders in health and wellness to talk about problems and solutions to improve communities. In this event, vision health professionals from public health, private practice and academia in Arizona came together to explore how to address the barriers in vision care access and ways to create partnerships in the future. Watch the recap of the discussion here. For more information about Expert Voices, contact Barb Kozuh at bkozuh@deltadentalaz.com.

The post Strengthening Access to Vision Care in Arizona appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

From the moment you wake up, your eyes don’t get a break.

They’re constantly adjusting throughout the day—scanning between screens, reacting with different lighting and keeping up with whatever you’re focused on in the moment. And most of the time, your eyes keep up just fine.

Until they don’t.

By the end of the day, you might start to notice that your eyes are a little tired, dry or blurry.

That’s where what you eat may play a role.

The nutrients in food help support the parts of your eyes that make all of that adjusting possible, and without the right nutrients, your eyes have less to work with.

What Food Can (And Can’t) Do for Your Eyes

It would be nice if eating the right food could sharpen your vision, but that’s not really how it works. How clearly you see is mostly tied to how your eye focuses on light, which is influenced by the shape of your eye and how light is processed as it moves through it. When that process changes, it’s usually corrected with glasses or contacts.

However, food can support the structures in your eyes that make vision possible in the first place. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the nutrients in what you eat help maintain the tissues and cells your eyes depend on, support the tiny arteries that keep them nourished and play a role in keeping your eyes seeing well and from feeling dry and irritated.

Foods that May Help Protect Your Eyes

Your eyes rely on a steady flow of nutrients to keep things working the way they should. And while you’ve heard that carrots are good for your eyes, the full picture goes a bit further than that. Here’s a closer look at the key nutrients that support eye health and what foods to find them in:

Vitamin A

Think of vitamin A as one of your eyes’ most essential tools. It helps your eyes process light and keeps the surface of your eye hydrated. So, when levels are low, dryness and irritation are often the first signs. Carrots are the most famous source, but did you know sweet potatoes pack more vitamin A per serving? Other sources you can find vitamin A in are spinach, kale, egg yolks and dairy.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin might not be household names (or maybe it’s your first time seeing them at all), but your eyes depend on them. They are concentrated in the macula—the part of your eye responsible for sharp vision and color recognition that you use for reading, driving and recognizing faces. They help absorb some high-energy visible light and support retinal health. While the names look complicated, it’s easy to add both to your meals. Kale, spinach, eggs, corn, broccoli and peas all do the job.

Vitamin C

Oranges might get all the credit, but vitamin C shows up in more places than you’d think. And your eyes need it. Vitamin C helps protect eye tissue from damage and supports the tiny blood vessels that keep your eyes nourished. You can find this in bell peppers, broccoli, kale, strawberries, and yes, oranges too.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E doesn’t get as much attention as some of the others, but your eyes notice when it’s missing. It helps protect eye cells from the kind of everyday damage that builds up over time. Think of it as long-term maintenance for your vision. Almonds, avocados and sunflower seeds are all great places to start.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

If your eyes feel tired, dry or irritated by the end of the day, omega-3 fatty acids might be worth paying attention to. They support the structure of cells in your eye and have anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve dry eye symptoms. Where can you find omega-3 fatty acids? The hint is in the name. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel are the most popular sources. But if fish isn’t your thing, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts are good alternatives, as well as quality fish oil supplements

Zinc

Zinc doesn’t get much spotlight, but it plays a behind-the-scenes role that makes everything else work better. It helps move vitamin A from your liver to your retina. Without it, your body can’t fully use the vitamin A you’re already getting. You can find zinc in lean meats, shellfish, beans, nuts and seeds.

Simple Ways to Add Vision-Supporting Foods to Your Diet

You don’t need to overhaul your diet to get more of these nutrients. Small, consistent changes go further than big ones that make it hard to stick.

Here are a few simple ways to add vision-supporting foods to your diet:

• Build around what you already eat. If you’re already making a salad, swap the base to spinach or kale. If you’re already snacking, reach for nuts or seeds instead.
• Add color to your plate. Orange and dark green vegetables are some of the easiest sources of vision-supporting foods, and they’re easy to work in as a side!
• Make fish a regular swap. Try replacing one of your usual proteins with salmon, sardines or tuna a couple times a week.
• Don’t overlook breakfast. Eggs are one of the most convenient sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, and the fat in egg yolks helps your body absorb them more effectively.

None of these require a complicated recipe or a trip to a specialty store. The goal is consistency, not perfection at every meal. Many of the same foods that support your eyes are good for your overall health. Check out our healthy recipes for ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post How Food Plays a Role in Healthy Vision appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

Braces can be an exciting step toward a healthier, more confident smile, but they can also raise questions about cost. Before starting orthodontic treatment, it helps to understand what your dental plan covers. If you’re wondering whether Delta Dental of Arizona helps pay for braces, knowing how orthodontic benefits work can make it easier to plan ahead and avoid unexpected expenses.

What Orthodontic Treatment for Braces May Include

Braces get most of the attention, but they’re just one part of what orthodontic treatment involves. Coverage varies by plan, but most Delta Dental of Arizona plans with orthodontic benefits include:

• Pre-orthodontic treatment visit
• Exam and start-up records (e.g., X-rays, photos and impressions of your teeth)
• Comprehensive orthodontic treatment (including braces or clear aligners)
• Post-treatment retainers
• Post-treatment records

After any coinsurance is paid, coverage applies up to your lifetime maximum, which means any costs beyond that limit are paid by you. Additional appliances like expanders, space maintainers and replacement retainers are not part of standard orthodontic coverage. When your orthodontist presents your treatment, ask which services are covered under your specific benefits so you know exactly what to expect before treatment begins.

If Your Child Needs Braces, Here’s What to Know

Your dentist just said “braces” and now you’re wondering how to make it happen without breaking the bank. The good news is most plans with orthodontic coverage offered by employers help cover braces for children.

It’s important to know that there’s a time window. Orthodontic treatment for dependent children must begin on or after age 8, and braces need to be in place before age 17. Between school schedules and everything else on a parent’s plate, it’s easy to put orthodontic treatment on the back burner. But putting it off too long could mean missing out on benefits you’re already paying for.

It’s also helpful to understand how payments work. Delta Dental of Arizona doesn’t pay the full cost of orthodontic treatment upfront. Instead, an initial payment is made when braces are put on, and a second payment follows 8 to 12 months later if the member receiving the treatment is still enrolled in a qualifying plan. You pay your coinsurance share directly to the orthodontist and can work with them on a payment plan.

Getting Braces as an Adult

If you’re like many adults, the idea of getting braces has probably crossed your mind more than once. It just never felt like the right time—or maybe it’s never been a priority in your budget.

Adult orthodontic treatment is more common than you might realize, and the options have come a long way. Beyond traditional metal braces, there are a few directions you can go depending on your lifestyle and how visible you want your treatment to be:

• Ceramic braces use tooth-colored brackets that blend in with your teeth. Same function as metal, just less noticeable.
• Lingual braces are placed on the back of your teeth, making them virtually invisible from the front.
• Clear aligners are removable trays that straighten your teeth without any brackets or wires at all.

Not every dental plan includes orthodontic coverage for adults. If you receive dental benefits from your employer, coverage for orthodontic treatment will depend on your specific plan. If you’re paying for dental benefits on your own, you’ll want Delta Dental of Arizona’s Palo Verde plan which covers orthodontic treatment for adults. This coverage kicks in during the second year of enrollment.

Already mid-treatment when you switched to a Delta Dental plan? You may still have options. Delta Dental of Arizona’s standard orthodontic takeover policy might be able to cover part of your remaining costs. Under this policy, your new Delta Dental plan pays the difference between its maximum and what your old plan paid before switching. Your member portal will have more information on how this applies to your specific benefits, or you can contact us to find out if you have takeover on your plan.

What You Can Expect to Pay for Braces

The cost of braces varies depending on the type of treatment, how long it takes and where you live. A plan with orthodontic coverage can lower what you pay out of pocket.

Most Delta Dental of Arizona plans with orthodontic coverage split the cost with you up to a lifetime orthodontic maximum. That coverage is separate from your annual dental maximum, so your other dental benefits aren’t affected. On Delta Dental of Arizona’s Palo Verde plan, there’s no deductible on orthodontic treatment, meaning you won’t be required to pay a set amount out of pocket before your benefits kick in. However, employer-provided plans may require a deductible for orthodontic treatment.

What you’re required to pay out of pocket is billed directly by your orthodontist, not to Delta Dental of Arizona. Ask their office about setting up a payment plan so the full cost of braces can be paid off over time.

Before treatment starts, you will receive a pre-treatment estimate. This will tell you what is covered, how much your plan will pay toward treatment and how much you’ll need to pay out of pocket. It’s not a guarantee of payment, but it gives you a realistic number to work with before you commit.

When it comes to choosing an orthodontist, you can see any licensed provider, but you’ll save more by staying in network. Delta Dental has a large network of orthodontists in Arizona and across the country, and you can search for one near you using our search tool.

What an Orthodontic Lifetime Maximum Means for You

An orthodontic lifetime maximum is the total amount your plan will pay for braces over your lifetime. Any additional amount becomes your responsibility.

This is different from your annual dental maximum, which resets every year. Your orthodontic lifetime maximum is a one-time benefit and is separate from your annual maximum. So, using it doesn’t affect what your plan pays toward cleanings, fillings or other dental care.

For families, the orthodontic lifetime maximum applies per person. If you have more than one family member who needs braces, each one will have their own limit.

How Soon Can You Use Your Orthodontia Coverage?

For most Delta Dental of Arizona employer-provided plans, there is no waiting period for orthodontia coverage. It’s available from day one, which is one less thing to factor into your treatment timeline.

If you’re paying for dental benefits on your own, Delta Dental of Arizona’s Palo Verde plan requires one full year of enrollment before coverage for braces kicks in.

Delta Dental makes two payments over the course of treatment—one when braces go on and a second 8 to 12 months later. Staying enrolled in a plan with orthodontia coverage for the full course of treatment ensures both payments are made. If you lose or change your coverage before that second payment, you may be responsible for the remaining costs.

Finding a Plan that Covers Braces

Where you go from here depends on where you’re starting from.

If you’re already a Delta Dental of Arizona member, sign in to your member portal to review your plan details and confirm whether braces coverage is included. Your coverage summary will show your orthodontic lifetime maximum and any waiting periods that apply.

If you’re shopping for a new dental plan, orthodontic coverage isn’t always included. Here are a few things to look for when comparing options:

• Who’s covered: Some plans limit orthodontic benefits to dependent children. Look for a plan that covers everyone who needs, or wants, braces.
• Clear aligners: Most plans with orthodontic benefits cover both braces and clear aligners, but not all. Confirm before you enroll.
• Waiting periods: Individual plans might have a waiting period before orthodontic benefits kick in. If you’re planning to start treatment soon, factor that timeline into your decision.
• Lifetime maximum: This is the total your plan will pay toward braces per person. The higher the maximum, the more your plan contributes toward the total cost of treatment.

Delta Dental of Arizona’s Palo Verde plan is a great option for those who are paying for dental benefits on their own and are looking for coverage for braces, clear aligners, retainers and more!

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Does Delta Dental Cover Braces? appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

School is hard enough when you’re trying to learn something new. But imagine sitting in class, not quite following along, and not knowing why.

For Kristi DeWitt Quintero, general agency relationship executive Delta Dental of Arizona, that feeling was part of her everyday experience growing up.

She remembers loving school but struggling to keep up. Math didn’t make sense. Reading and spelling felt harder than they should have. And no matter how hard she tried, it felt like everyone else understood something she didn’t.

“I genuinely believed that I was bad at math and average at best with other subjects,” she shared.

It wasn’t until later that she discovered the reason.

She couldn’t see the board.

How Vision Problems in Children Go Undetected

This is what makes childhood vision problems so easy to miss: kids have no frame of reference.

When you’ve always seen the world in a certain way, you assume that’s just how the world looks. Blurry letters on the board, squinting to read, losing your place mid-sentence—if that’s your normal, you don’t think to mention it. You just think you’re not trying hard enough.

And when you can’t keep up, it doesn’t feel like a vision problem, it feels personal.

“It felt really humiliating when I could not understand these simple concepts that everybody else in my class seemed to catch on to,” remembered DeWitt Quintero.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), many vision problems in children go undetected by parents, teachers and the children themselves without a formal vision screening. That’s partly because vision problems don’t always look like vision problems. They can look like short attention span, a reading delay or a child who doesn’t seem motivated.

“It’s as if I was going to school part-time because I couldn’t see the board.”

The window to catch and correct vision problems is also narrower than most parents realize. Vision development is most sensitive to correction during the first seven to eight years of life. After that, some conditions become harder to treat.

The Moment It Clicked

DeWitt Quintero didn’t put the pieces together as a child. She put them together 45 years later, sitting in a meeting.

There, a story was shared about a student struggling in school. His grades were down and his teachers had low expectations. Then he was identified as having a vision problem and was fitted with glasses on the spot.

“All of a sudden, his grades took off.”

Sitting in that room, something clicked for DeWitt Quintero.

“I’m thinking, oh my God, that is my story.” She went home and confirmed it with her parents. The glasses and the advanced math class happened at the same time—she just hadn’t known it until now.

“I got the glasses and suddenly, miraculously, not only did my math skills take off, I actually got put in advanced math and honors English and AP everything else,” said DeWitt Quintero. “It was just the missing link. Simply, I couldn’t see the board.”

What Vision Screenings Check (And What They Miss)

In Arizona, public and charter schools are required by law to screen student’s vision. Private schools are not held to the same requirement. Children are typically screened when starting preschool and kindergarten, in third grade and again in seventh grade.  When a child enrolls in a new school that requires a vision screening, they must provide documentation or have a screening completed in the first 90 days.

Vision screenings can check for a range of issues, including:

• How clearly a child sees at a distance
• Whether their eyes are properly aligned
• Whether there are signs of conditions like lazy eye or the need for glasses

But they aren’t a complete picture. According to the American Optometric Association, a child can pass a vision screening and still have a vision problem related to eye focusing, eye tracking or eye coordination—all of which affect how well a child reads and learns.

A comprehensive eye exam is where those gaps get filled. Unlike a screening, it checks your child’s vision and the internal structures of their eyes, which gives the eye care professional a complete picture of their eye health.

Think of a vision as a first filter, not a final answer.

How to Support Your Child’s Vision Health

It can be hard to spot the signs that your child has vision problems. Some are more obvious than others like a child who squints, sits too close to the TV or holds a book unusually close to their face. But other signs that are easier to miss, a child who rubs their eyes often or tilts their head to one side.

Then there are signs that show up in the classroom and are easy to misread. When a child can’t see the board or struggles to track words on a page, it can seem like they’re having trouble paying attention. In some cases, it can even look like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

DeWitt Quintero puts it simply: “Speak up and ask the simple questions, because this may change the trajectory of their life and their self-worth.”

The earlier a vision problem is caught, the more options there are to correct it. If you notice any of the signs above, start by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with an eye care professional. You can find a vision provider near you to get started.

And even if nothing seems off, vision can change gradually without any obvious signs.

Vision Care is Part of the Bigger Picture

DeWitt Quintero’s story is personal, but it’s not uncommon. There are children in classrooms right now who are struggling for the same reason she did—and have no idea.

“This was life changing. This was so revealing to me. And looking back, it really could have saved me so much—so many teary homework nights and frustration.”

Vision is one of the primary ways children experience and absorb the world around them. When something is off, everything downstream can be affected: learning, confidence and how a child sees their own potential. The good news is that for most children, it’s correctable. But only if it gets caught.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Children’s Vision Care: Why Eye Health Matters for Learning appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

A toothache doesn’t clock out at 5 p.m. Neither does eye strain or that pesky headache that keeps coming back. These are minor but persistent problems people push through instead of calling in sick. But these are also the same problems that can slowly chip away at focus, productivity and morale.

The right preventive benefits can help keep small issues from turning into bigger (and expensive) ones.

The Basics: What Preventive Benefits Cover

Preventive benefits cover the services that help your employees stay healthy, not just fix what’s wrong. This includes annual physicals, dental cleanings, and eye exams.

For dental, preventive benefits cover:

• Routine cleanings: Even with good brushing habits, plaque and tartar build up over time. Regular cleanings remove buildup before it turns into cavities or gum disease.
• Oral exams: A dentist can spot early signs of decay , infection or oral cancer. Early treatment is almost always simpler and less costly.
• X-rays: The naked eye can’t see everything that’s going on in your mouth. X-rays catch hidden problems like decay between teeth or changes in bone density.

For vision, preventive benefits cover:

• Comprehensive eye exams: These go beyond checking how clearly you see. They look at the overall health of your eyes, including early signs of conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration.
• Prescription evaluations: If your prescription is out of date, you’re working harder than you need to just to see clearly. This makes sure your employees have what they need to see well and work comfortably.

Unfortunately, these are the kinds of appointments that are easy to push aside when life gets busy. But here’s what happens when preventive benefits go unused: a skipped dental cleaning can turn into a costly root canal. An overdue eye exam means another year of straining to read a screen with the wrong prescription. When your employees put off preventive care, it impacts more than their health. It affects how they show up to work.

The Connection Between Employee Health and Performance

The connection between employee health and performance isn’t abstract. Dental pain affects concentration. Vision problems make it harder to read, focus and respond quickly. These don’t get flagged in a performance review, but they’re hard to ignore during an eight-hour workday. Left unaddressed, those health issues impact more than just the employee.

The Business Cost of Presenteeism and Absenteeism

There’s actually a term for when employees show up to work but aren’t really there: presenteeism. It can look like pushing through a day of meetings with a toothache. Or squinting at a spreadsheet because their prescription is two years overdue. Technically present but distracted and not at their best.

Presenteeism is more costly than most employers realize. It costs U.S. businesses up to $150 billion annually. That’s roughly 10 times the cost of absenteeism.

Missed days show up in attendance records, while presenteeism hides in plain sight. The work still looks like it’s getting done. But the quality, focus and output behind it tells a different story.

When employees stay on top of their health, problems like these are less likely to take root in the first place. That’s the case for making preventive benefits more than just a line item in your benefits package.

Missed days are the most visible sign that something is wrong— and they add up fast. In fact, U.S. employers lose an estimated $226 billion a year to health-related absences. That’s about $1,695 per employee. It’s not just an empty desk. It’s the work that piles up, the teammates who pick it up and deadlines that get pushed.

A lot of absences don’t come out of nowhere. Often, they’re the result of a health issue that had been building for a while. When your employees use their preventive benefits regularly, those small problems get handled before they become a reason to call in sick.

The Role of Dental and Vision Benefits in the Workplace

That’s where dental and vision benefits come in. While they’re separate from health insurance, they’re all part of what keeps the whole body healthy.

Did you know?
Nearly half of U.S. adults over 30 have some form of gum disease and most don’t know it.

Gum disease has been linked to serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes. This means what’s happening in your mouth can be a window into what’s happening in the rest of your body.  On this vision side, 78% of employees say eye issues hurt their productivity at work.

Healthy employees perform better. Routine dental and vision care is one of the easiest and most practical ways to support that.

How Preventive Benefits Can Lower Healthcare Costs

Every year, benefits budgets get harder to manage. Premiums go up, costs climb and the pressure to offer competitive coverage doesn’t let up. The good news is that preventive benefits are one of the few places where spending more can cost you less.

When your employees stay on top of their dental and vision care, health issues get caught early. That means fewer emergency claims and lower overall costs over time. Research shows that every dollar spent on workplace wellness programs, healthcare costs drop by about $3.27.

Cutting voluntary benefits to reduce costs has the opposite effect. The costs don’t disappear. They just show up later, in as more expensive reactive care.

Preventive Benefits as a Retention Tool

Compensation gets people in the door. Benefits are often what keeps them there. In a competitive job market, employees are paying close attention to what their benefits package includes.

In fact, 88% of workers say it’s a major factor in their decision to take a job. And once employees are hired, benefits continue to shape whether they stay. 36% of employees say health benefits are a top reason they stay with their current employer.

For organizations where turnover is a real cost, recruiting and onboarding add up fast.

Offering dental and vision benefits sends a clear message to your workforce: that employee health is a priority, not an afterthought. When employees have options elsewhere, preventive benefits can be your differentiator in employee retention.

Encouraging Preventive Care in the Workplace

Offering preventive benefits is step one. Making sure employees use them is the next step. Turns out, 80% of employees don’t even read their benefit materials. And almost half don’t fully understand their benefits. This is not a communication problem, but rather an opportunity for you to help close the gap:

• Communicate year-round. Open enrollment is a start, but employees need reminders year-round. Monthly or quarterly check-ins through email, newsletters or your intranet help keep preventive care top of mind.
• Use multiple channels. Employees have different learning styles. Videos, flyers, lunch-and-learns and mobile-friendly resources all reach people differently. The easier you make it, the more likely employees are to engage.
• Lead with culture. When leadership uses their benefits and encourages others to do the same, it sets the tone. It tells employees that taking care of their health is supported, not something to squeeze in.
• Use open enrollment strategically. It’s the window when employees are actively reviewing their coverage. Use it to remind employees what’s covered and that most preventive care costs them little to nothing out of pocket.

Preventive Benefits as a Workplace Wellness Strategy

Workplace wellness is more than a step challenge or access to a meditation app. It’s also about consistent and accessible preventive care. The kind that catches a dental problem before it becomes a sick day or spots a vision issue before it affects someone’s ability to do their job.

That’s what preventive dental and vision benefits do. If you’re serious about a healthy and productive workplace, preventive benefits are not a line item. They’re part of the whole workplace wellness strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post Why Preventive Benefits Boost Employee Productivity appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.

Healthy. Easy to make. And packed with flavor. What more could you ask for? Give juicy shrimp a tasty kick and delicious crunch with this creative recipe. Shrimp is full of smile-friendly nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, protein and omega-3s to keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy.

Ingredients:

For 6-8 tacos:

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined and tails removed)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 to 8 corn tortillas

For the slaw and sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of peeled garlic
• ½ small jalapeno with seeds and membranes removed
• ¼ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 2 cups shredded cabbage or slaw mix

Directions:

Make the shrimp:

1. Rinse and dry shrimp and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Drizzle shrimp with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Toss to coat evenly.
3. Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for about 4 minutes before transferring it to a plate. 

Make the slaw and shrimp taco sauce:

1. Combine the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and lime juice in a food processor.
2. Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl and toss with about ½ cup of the sauce from the food processor. 

Assemble the tacos:

1. Fill the tortillas with shrimp and slaw. Top with remaining sauce.
2. Add extra toppings if desired like avocado, sour cream and cheese. Enjoy!

The post Mouth-Healthy Recipe: Shrimp Tacos appeared first on Delta Dental of Arizona Blog - Health & Wellness Tips.