While many of the tenets of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) focus on medical insurance, its implementation will also have a major impact on how dental insurance is offered, what services are covered, and the cost of dental coverage.

The inclusion of “pediatric services, including oral and vision care” as a required coverage in the essential health benefit (EHB) package creates an interweaving of medical and oral health services rarely seen prior to healthcare reform, causing new complexities in selling and administering dental insurance.

As the PPACA is implemented, it will be critical to consider the inclusion of dental insurance thoughtfully in order to prevent unintended consequences to the dental insurance marketplace affecting insurers, consumers, and providers alike.