Delta Dental of California and Philips Oral Health Establish Partnership to Advance Oral Health and Improve Health Care Outcomes

SAN FRANCISCO and BOTHELL, Wash., March 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental of California, its affiliates and Philips Oral Healthcare division today announced a partnership born out of a shared mission to promote and improve oral health and wellness. The companies plan to lend their respective expertise and conduct research in a joint effort to build integrated insurance and oral hygiene and wellness solutions within an evolving connected ecosystem encompassing care at home, care at the dentist and coverage suited to a range of needs.

The partnership will leverage Delta Dental of California's deep understanding of provider-enrollee dynamics, established relationships within those populations and position as a leading insurer, in combination with Philips expertise in health technology and knowledge of consumer needs and behavior. As a way of informing the mission of the partnership, the organizations are currently conducting joint research with more than 2,000 people to better understand the health benefits that can result from changes in oral health behavior. Insights from the research partnership will help to inform new offerings for employers and consumers alike.

"As we pursue our mission of advancing oral health and wellness, Delta Dental of California understands that access to care can be enhanced in a variety of ways," said Mike Castro, president and CEO of Delta Dental of California. "We want to equip customers with the right tools to take control of their oral health and provide ways to encourage preventive behavior on a daily basis. At a moment when technological possibilities are seemingly endless and so many people are passionate about wellness, this partnership will have the collective resources, know-how and innovative drive to empower people to improve their oral health."

"As a technology company that cares about people, Philips listens, discovers and challenges, to deliver meaningful innovation that helps people be healthy, live well, and enjoy life," said Michael Kuhne, global business leader, Philips Oral Health. "This partnership will help us gain crucial insights and enable us to create products that appropriately reflect actual consumer use and the results of that behavior. By evolving the products we build and encouraging better hygiene practices through wellness incentives, we can provide individuals with the tools they need to optimize their oral hygiene and overall well-being."

The partnership's first program, BrushSmart, currently in pilot phase, is designed to improve oral health by measuring the connection between sonic brushing technology and oral health. Through the evaluation of brushing data and surveys to participating program enrollees, Delta Dental and Philips can draw linkages between behaviors and health outcomes.

About Delta Dental of California

Delta Dental of California and its affiliates, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, and Delta Dental of West Virginia, together provide dental benefits to 36.5 million people in 15 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental member companies that collectively cover more than 78 million people nationwide.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

For More Information, Contact:
Tom Sarris
Delta Dental of California
[email protected]
415.974.7006

Shannon Jenest
Philips, North America
[email protected] 
917.279.0843

SOURCE Delta Dental of California