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Supplemental Benefits Play Important Role in Maintaining Overall Health

When you think of a dental or vision plan as being included in your employee medical insurance package, you usually think of them as a nice perk. However, for many people it can actually be much more than that. Many serious diseases and illnesses can often be diagnosed during a routine dental or vision exam that would have ordinarily gone undiagnosed. Let's take a look at how each of these supplemental plans can be vitally important to your health.

Dental Exams

Dental exams can catch many diseases early before they get out of hand and before the patient even realizes that they may be a problem. Here are a few of the most notable:

1. Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that can often creep up on an individual without the person even being aware of it. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to many adverse health effects, including heart disease and death. Many lives have been saved because dentists spotted the warning signs of diabetes right inside someone's mouth. Gum disease, cavities, and oral infections are some of the most common warning signs.

2. Immune Deficiency
An immune deficiency can be a disaster on a person's health. Even a cold or flu virus can leave them crippled and can possibly even kill them. While a person might not know he has such a deficiency because he hasn't contracted a major virus - a dentist can sometimes notice that the patient's oral inflammations aren't healing in a reasonable amount of time.

3. Stress
A dentist can notice that a patient has been grinding his teeth - a sure indication of stress. He can then recommend that he see a doctor and get the proper medication.

Vision Exams

Vision Exams can be equally important for catching disorders before they get out of hand. Here are a few of the most important:

1. High Blood Pressure
Your eye doctor can often pick up the tell-tale signs of high blood pressure by examining the blood vessels in your eyes.

2. Tumors
Tumors are often a warning of potential cancer. These can be easily detected by an eye doctor.

3. Heart Disease
The early symptoms of heart disease can also be detected by a thorough examination of the eye's blood vessels. Heart disease is often caused by a hardening of the arteries and veins of the body.

With all the diseases that can be diagnosed by a simple dental or eye exam, it simply doesn't make sense to consider these crucial exams as mere supplemental health benefits. Even if your group doesn't include these as part of the basic package, you may want to offer these as a voluntary benefit. You and your employees' lives may depend on it.