Use our simple member portal

read Adult Oral Health, Insurance Resources and Dental Benefits, Senior Oral Health
From ID card access to going paperless, we promise you’ll find tools you’ll revisit time and again on our convenient member portal.

Delta Dental of Wisconsin wants you to take advantage of your online member portal! From ID card access to going paperless, we’re sure you’ll find tools you’ll revisit time and again.

We know how confusing dental coverage can be. The online portal was designed to help you better manage and use your dental benefits. Take control of your dental experience and access your claims, ID card, and settings when it’s convenient for you on your computer or mobile device. Easily review your explanation of benefits and see how Delta Dental covers your care. Email ID cards to your dentist’s office or to family members on your plan. Use the handy cost estimator tool to avoid feeling uncertain about your dental expenses.

Change communication preferences with Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s online member portal to best suit your lifestyle. Safely and securely message with the customer experience specialists in our award-winning Contact Center with any questions you have for a quick and accurate answer within one business day. Instant chat is a feature as well, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.

Dashboards for individuals and families allow you to see if you or anyone on your plan is overdue for a cleaning or other service. Browse the blog, oral health library, or social channels to learn how oral health impacts your lives every day. Video: Delta Dental member portal overview.

In short, on your member portal you can:

  • Download or email an ID card
  • View plan utilization features on your individual and family dashboard
  • See price transparency with our cost estimator – Video: Cost estimator
  • Go paperless and update your communication preferences (like receiving EOBs electronically)
  • Securely communicate online with DDWI Customer Experience Specialists – Video: Customer Service
  • Personalize your featured health topics and blogs

Looking for more on what our online member portal has to offer? Sign in or sign up right now at www.deltadentalwi.com.

Use the protective power of an eye exam

read Adult Oral Health, Vision Benefits
Eye exams are a powerful health tool that can help detect serious health problems. Find out more about the protective power of eye exams.

*Updated November 2022

Your eyes can tell you a lot about your health. Pay attention and they’ll tell you about problems you may not even know about. That’s the power of an annual eye exam. Protect your vision and overall health with regular visits to the eye doctor.

Eye exams help detect serious problems sooner

Your eyes can be windows to your health. Serious health problems show early signs through your eyes—ones you don’t want to miss. A visit to your eye doctor can help detect signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, as well as eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma.Catching these diseases early makes it easier to treat them sooner.

Eye exams fight tech with tech

Every day, we spend hours staring at phones, laptops, and tablets. These screens put out blue light. Reports suggest overexposure may cause blurry vision, difficulty focusing, dry and irritated eyes, and headaches. 

Turn the tables on the digital age with a digital eye exam. Your eye doctor will be able to detect any changes in your eyes due to screen exposure and may recommend investing in blue light glasses, which help protect your eyes.

Eye exams at every age

Eye exams are important at every age, whether you are one or 101. Everyone is susceptible to vision problems, which can affect their quality of life. Here are some key takeaways:

  • Babies and toddlers: Should have their first eye exam between six and 12 months.
  • School-age children: One in four may have vision problems that may affect learning.
  • Adults: Over 75 percent of adults living in the United States use vision correctors.
  • Seniors: The most common sufferers of glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
  • Moms-to-be: Pregnancy can cause vision changes that your doctor should know about.

Don’t Live with Eye Anxiety

DeltaVision® makes it easy to get important eye exams with freedom to choose the doctor, hours, and location that works best for you.

Learn more about our DeltaVision plans.

Unblurring the lines to corrected vision

read Adult Oral Health, Vision Benefits
Check out this list of prevalent eye conditions, vision symptoms, and the best lenses to correct the problem for happy eye health.

Roughly 75% of Americans experience vision symptoms that require eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other care, according to the Vision Council of America.1

That means most of us are finding it harder to read restaurant menus or locate a good seat in the theater.

If you’re seeing the world a little out of focus, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Researchers and doctors are constantly working to find better ways to pinpoint the causes of eye conditions and remedy them.

So, don’t fret the seat or the entrée list. Resolving eyesight issues is a straightforward process; it just takes a little understanding of what eye symptoms mean, and then working with your eye doctor to choose the right lenses for that condition.

Check out this list of prevalent eye conditions, vision symptoms, and the best lenses to correct the problem for happy eye health.

Farsightedness

Anyone who can read the subtitles on a movie screen but cannot read the headlines on his or her computer is familiar with farsightedness. It is a vision condition that makes nearby objects appear blurry, while faraway objects remain clear. Farsightedness usually occurs at birth and tends to be hereditary. The condition is easily corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses prescribed by a doctor.2

Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness is a condition that inhibits one’s ability to see objects that are far away, such as that highway exit sign or a performer on stage. Also, a condition that tends to run in families, nearsightedness (or “myopia”) often worsens during childhood or adolescence. Like farsightedness, it can be corrected easily with eyeglasses or contact lenses.3

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is often accused of arriving at our doorstep the day we turn 40. Like farsightedness, it refers to the eyes’ diminishing ability to focus on objects that are close to us. It often becomes noticeable in our early 40s and unfortunately worsens until about age 65. A simple eye exam can diagnose presbyopia, and it can be readily fixed with eyeglasses or contacts.4

Astigmatism

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea on the surface of the eye or the lens inside the eye curves differently from one direction to the other. The result is blurriness at all distances, and possibly eye strain and headaches. Those who have an astigmatism often are born with it. Astigmatism can be diagnosed with a vision test and a painless exam to check the curvature of the cornea.5

Fortunately, most people younger than 60 can have their vision problems corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The key is seeing an eye doctor as soon as objects get fuzzy, and then simply enjoying life through a new lens.

Learn more about our vision plans.

The history of women in dentistry

read Dental Trends
To celebrate National Women’s History Month, take a look at the tremendous progressive women in dentistry. Although we couldn’t cover all the pioneering women who helped shape dental care, we’ve included just some of their milestone stories.

To celebrate National Women’s History Month, take a look at the tremendous progressive women in dentistry. Although we couldn’t cover all the pioneering women who helped shape dental care, we’ve included a sampling of their milestone stories.

Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor

The first woman to graduate from dental school had some roadblocks to overcome. When Lucy Beaman Hobbs Taylor was initially denied admittance to the Ohio College of Dentistry, she forged her own route. First, she found a mentor. Then, she taught herself the principles of dental care until she was proficient enough to open her own practice in Iowa. She was eventually permitted to enroll in dental school and graduated in 1866.

Ida Gray Nelson

Ida Gray Nelson became interested in dentistry while working part-time in a dental office. This experience helped her pass the entrance exam for her dental degree. After receiving her degree at the University of Michigan in 1890, she moved to her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio to open her own practice as the first African American dentist.

Grace Rogers Spalding

In 1913, Grace Rogers Spalding joined efforts with another female dentist named Gillette Hayden to form the American Academy of Periodontology and holds the title of the academy’s first female president. Additionally, she left a lasting impression on periodontology practices as an editor of the Journal of Periodontology for 20 years. In her work, she emphasized the importance of gums and supporting tooth structures instead of merely focusing on teeth.

Sara Gdulin Krout

Sara Gdulin Krout became the first female dentist to serve in the U.S. Navy in 1944. At the time, the military restricted women from providing dental care, so Krout became a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.

Today, roughly half of dental school graduates are female compared to just over 1% in 1968. Thanks to the bold efforts of female dental professionals, the path is more open than ever for women to make their mark on dentistry.

Don’t let plaque stick around! Teach kids to floss project

read Children's Oral Health
This project uses an ice tray, Play-Doh, and pipe cleaners to illustrate the importance of flossing! Teaching kids to floss just got a whole lot easier.

This project focuses on teaching kids to floss and understanding the importance of oral health. Use Play-Doh, a pipe cleaner, and the underside of an ice tray to demonstrate how food and bacteria get stuck between the teeth. Then, use a pipe cleaner to floss and remove the sugar bugs. 

Supplies:

  • Play-Doh
  • A pipe cleaner
  • Ice tray

By running the pipe cleaner along the outer edges of the tray, we can more effectively remove the “plaque.” 

Get competition between siblings by seeing who can clean the most thoroughly, or add a toothbrush into the mix! 

Looking for more to help get kids excited about brushing and flossing? 

High blood pressure: The silent disease an eye exam can detect

read Adult Oral Health, Vision Benefits
By viewing the blood vessels in the retinas of your eyes, your eye doctor is able to look for early signs of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

If getting an annual eye exam isn’t a part of your routine, remember: Your heart is too important to overlook your eyes. Every time we go to our primary care doctor, we’re asked to roll up our sleeve to have our blood pressure checked. It’s a simple, basic way health professionals can monitor cardiovascular health. What you may not know is that there’s another way doctors get a clear look at your blood pressure: your annual eye exam.

By viewing the blood vessels in the retinas of your eyes, your eye doctor is able to look for early signs of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

Because many of its sufferers often lack symptoms, high blood pressure has been called the “silent disease.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 75 million American adults have high blood pressure. That’s 1 in 3.

Yet, many people don’t know they have it.1 And since high blood pressure can affect so many vital parts of the body, early detection and treatment are key.

Blood vessels carry blood not only to your heart, but also to your eyes. Due to their enormous demand for oxygen, tiny blood vessels in the eyes’ retinas can be damaged by high blood pressure. During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor checks for the many subtle changes high blood pressure causes to the retina, a condition known as hypertensive retinopathy.

High blood pressure is also linked to choroidopathy, which occurs when there is fluid buildup under the retina and causes vision disorder. Another vision condition related to high blood pressure is optic neuropathy, or nerve damage, which occurs when blood flow is blocked. Nerve damage can kill nerve cells in your eyes, resulting in bleeding in the eye or vision loss.

If your eye doctor detects any changes that indicate high blood pressure, he or she can work with your primary care doctor to ensure you receive appropriate and timely treatment.

Eye care professionals do not take the place of your physician, and are not a substitute for regular physical exams by your medical doctor.

1”High blood pressure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/faqs.htm. Accessed December 2019.

Detecting the effects of blue light on kids’ vision

read Vision Benefits
While the experience may make them tech-savvy and dexterous, the effects of blue light emanating from the screens of video games, cell phones, tablets, computers, and televisions can affect kids’ vision and their overall health.

A screen may be a nice distraction, but to young eyes it can be a disturbance. Children begin carrying digital devices from the moment their dimpled fingers can carry them—72% of kids aged eight and younger had used tablets or smartphones by 2013, and more than one third of them were under the age of two.1

While the experience may make them tech-savvy and dexterous, the effects of blue light emanating from the screens of video games, cell phones, tablets, computers, and televisions can affect kids’ vision and their overall health.

That does not mean children have to completely power down, though. Parents can manage digital exposure with protection and a few changes of habit.

Why so blue?

Blue light, part of a light spectrum that is visible to the human eye, provides basic illumination and can also enhance feelings of well-being.2 This may explain why children are so easily drawn to the glow of their handheld devices.

But the effects of blue light on kids’ vision can be wide ranging and potentially damaging, depending on the length of screen time. This is because their maturing eyes haven’t yet developed the protective pigments to help filter out some of the harmful blue light that comes from all that time in front of the screen.3

Among the leading risks of blue light exposure is that it suppresses the release of melatonin, the hormone that tells us when it is time to sleep. An extended lack of deep sleep can contribute to behavioral issues and weight gain due to overeating.4

Protect kids’ eyes

One of the easiest ways to protect a child’s eyes from the effects of blue light is to call time out on their electronic devices. Put at least an hour between screen time and bedtime, some doctors suggest.4

In the interim, you could encourage the child to read a book. You also can dim the screens of all devices, which should limit the amount of blue light coming through.

Lastly, you can opt for eye protection. Yellow polycarbonate lenses or goggles are reported to offer defense from blue light in many cases.5 Similarly, ask your eye doctor if he or she could recommend a blue-filtering lens.

Standing between a child and his or her device won’t always be easy, but by developing some of these practices early the child will adjust. And who knows? Maybe he or she will be just as happy reading a book.

1 “More Than 33 Percent of Kids Under Two Use Tablets So Prepare for an Army of Robot Babies,” by Noah Rayman, Time, Oct. 28, 2013.  http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/28/more-than-33-percent-ofkids-under-two-areusing-tablets-so-prepare-for-an-army-ofrobot-babies/

2 “Effects of Blue Light Exposure on Your Eyes,” by Troy Bedinghaus, OD, https://www.verywellhealth.com/blue-light-exposure-3421985. Accessed December 2019.

3“Ultraviolet A, Blue Light and Children,” by Elaine Kitchel, Low Vision Research Associate, https://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/fall99/ultraviolet.htm

4“Why Electronics May Stimulate You Before Bed,” National Sleep Foundation, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/whyelectronics-may-stimulate-you-bed. Accessed December 2019.

5“Ultraviolet A, Blue Light and Children,” by Elaine Kitchel, Low Vision Research Associate, https://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/fall99/ultraviolet.htm

Feast your eyes on antioxidants

read Vision Benefits
Besides helping to prevent cancer, coronary heart disease, and other conditions, antioxidants can help us maintain our vision. The molecules are said to enhance the quality of life.

Besides helping to prevent cancer, coronary heart disease, and other conditions, antioxidants can help us maintain our vision. The molecules are said to enhance the quality of life.

We can’t see them, but they are always there and if there is a shortage, our bodies can be adversely affected.

We are told to eat foods full of antioxidants such as leafy greens, legumes, nuts, and cold-water fish to keep our bodies healthy. Antioxidants are great for helping to prevent certain diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease.

Five key nutrients with high antioxidant content can help us maintain good vision and prevent eye disease:

1. Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Important nutrients found in green leafy vegetables, as well as other foods, such as eggs. Many studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

2. Vitamin C

Found in fruits and vegetables. Scientific evidence suggests vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts, and when taken in combination with other essential nutrients, it can lessen your chances of getting age-related macular degeneration and visual acuity loss.

3. Vitamin E

A powerful antioxidant found in nuts, fortified cereals, and sweet potatoes. It protects eye cells from free radicals (negatively charged molecules that may be linked to several degenerative diseases and cancers).

4. Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, high in EPA/DHA, have been shown to be important for proper visual development and retinal function.

5. Zinc

Mineral said to be the “helper molecule.” It plays a vital role in bringing vitamin A from the liver to the retina in order to produce melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes. Zinc is highly concentrated in the eye, mostly in the retina and choroid (the vascular tissue layer lying under the retina).

*Updated September 2021

This Year’s Resolution: Plan to Use Your Dental Insurance

read Insurance Resources and Dental Benefits
When the new cards come in the mail each year, it's easy to forget the changes to your plan. Here are some tips to help you keep track of your benefits.

*Updated January 2022

You’ve gone through open enrollment and vaguely remember the PowerPoint slides reviewing any new changes in your corporate plan, or you try to find the web pages you browsed for an individual plan. When the cards come in the mail, it’s easy to forget those little changes to your dental insurance plan.

Keeping your dental insurance in order might sound like a chore, but getting a head start on your benefit game plan could ease a few headaches down the road.

Plan how you can use your insurance now for a stress-free year.

Commit to the online member portal.

Doing this will help you with the all the following resolutions! Delta Dental of Wisconsin wants you to take advantage of our online member portal. In short, on your member portal you can:

  • Download or email an ID card
  • View plan utilization features on your individual and family dashboard
  • See price transparency with our cost estimator – Video: Cost estimator
  • Go paperless and update your communication preferences (like receiving EOBs electronically)
  • Securely communicate online with DDWI Customer Experience Specialists – Video: Customer Service
  • Personalize your featured health topics and blogs

Read our blog on the member portal for more information!

Make a checklist.

Start with the basics — make a list of preventive services you know you will need. You should visit the dentist at least once a year for a cleaning and checkup, according to the American Dental Association. Schedule appointments with your dental office, and if you know you’ll need additional dental work like fillings or crowns, pencil those in, too.

Study your coverage.

Once you know what procedures you need, take a minute to look over your plan. Familiarize yourself with dental insurance basics. What’s your deductible? What about your annual maximum? Most plans cover a percentage of procedures up to a specific dollar amount. Review your benefits contract so you know what’s covered. Sign in to our member portal to easily manage this.

Construct a timeline.

After consulting your dentist, work with your dental team to develop a treatment schedule. If you are unsure if a procedure or treatment will be covered, your dentist can always pre-submit a claim for an estimation of benefit coverage.

Write it down.

A lot can happen in a year! Keep track of any insurance use throughout the year. This will keep your mind fresh when selecting the best plan for you come next open enrollment.

Here’s to a happy, healthy new year!

Beat the Thanksgiving Guilt – Healthier Thanksgiving Side Options

read Lifestyle
Find Thanksgiving side replacements with foods that are good for your teeth and gums!

Thanksgiving dinner—the one time each year we justify eating until our pants can’t button. Unfortunately, we aren’t filling up on an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Instead, the Thanksgiving dinner table is usually full of fat, salt, and sugar. Avoid Thanksgiving guilt by keeping the turkey and swapping these two traditional dishes with healthier sides for Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Swap

Traditional sweet potato casserole is loaded with sugar, making it a dish your smile won’t be thankful for on the festive day. Instead, opt for this healthier sweet potato mash.

Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients

  • 3 sweet potatoes
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons rosemary
  • 1 cup milk (or milk alternative)
  • 3 tablespoons butter (or butter alternative)
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Peel the sweet potatoes and put in a pot to boil for 20–30 minutes. Test tenderness with a fork and remove from heat when they’re easily pierced.
  2. Cut the top of the garlic clove off (enough to expose the open cloves). Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 400o F for 30 minutes. Tip: This step can be done the day before and kept in the refrigerator overnight if your oven is preoccupied on the big day.
  3. Drain the potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or an electric mixer. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the potatoes and mash until blended. Add 1/3 cup of milk at a time while mashing and 1 tablespoon of butter at a time.
  4. Mix in rosemary, parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste.

Green Veggie Substitute

Classic green bean casserole is packed with salt, thanks to the cream of mushroom soup and fried onion topping. This green veggie replacement cuts down the salt and will pump up your taste buds.

Balsamic Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds of Brussels spouts
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425o
  2. Trim the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts. Cut the bottoms off and then cut lengthwise.
  3. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through.
  5. Tip: If the oven is taken on Thanksgiving, fry the Brussels sprouts in a cast iron pan for 8-10 minutes.
  6. Transfer Brussels sprouts to a large bowl and add the balsamic vinegar and honey. Drizzle olive oil. Mix until they are evenly coated.

Looking for more healthy cooking tips? Check out our other smile-friendly recipes:

*Updated November 2021