News
Our team is committed to keeping you informed and up-to-date on all the latest news that matters to you. From industry developments to regulations and trends, we've got you covered. Click on each section to learn more.
September 2025 News
Delta Dental conducts important research using national dental care claims data as part of its continued commitment to producing data-driven insights with actionable solutions for improved oral and overall health. New data from Delta Dental highlights how dental care utilization among insured Americans has rebounded following the COVID-19 pandemic but also reveals several lasting shifts in treatment patterns and patient behavior.
The original study, published in The Journal of the American Dental Association in 2023, found that dental care volumes dropped significantly in 2020 and remained below pre-pandemic levels through the end of 2021, especially for preventive and diagnostic services in patients under age 65. In this newly extended analysis, examining quarterly procedure volumes from 2020 to 2023 then comparing them to pre-pandemic averages from 2017 to 2019, preventive and diagnostic dental procedures have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Read the Delta Dental Institute news release for more information.
Delta Dental is proud to partner with three out of every four practicing dentists in America who are part of one or more of Delta Dental’s networks.
Participation in Delta Dental networks is good for your business – with more than one third of Americans with dental insurance covered by a Delta Dental member company. We support our network dentists by encouraging our members to visit them — in addition to offering a variety of benefits to you and your practice.
The 7,500+ group clients in Illinois actively encourage members to visit Delta Dental network dentists, especially Delta Dental PPO dentists. More than 2 million Delta Dental of Illinois members are covered by these clients and our Individual and Family plans. These members are seeking care from Delta Dental network dentists. In fact, network claims payments are consistently 85% or more for Delta Dental of Illinois’ book of business.
Plus, the average member spends $700 annually with a Delta Dental PPO dentist. That’s a $7,000 projected revenue for every 10 members who choose a Delta Dental PPO network dental office.
Thank you for providing quality care to our members. Nearly 2,500 Delta Dental of Illinois members responded to the CAHPS® Dental Plan Survey so far this year and have high marks for Delta Dental network dentists and dental staff in Illinois.
Delta Dental of Illinois members rate their experiences with Delta Dental dentists an average of 9.68 out of 10 and rate the care received from Delta Dental dentists and dental staff a 9.65 out of 10.
We are committed to improving oral health in the communities we serve. We know you share this commitment, and we truly value our partnership with you as we work together to serve our mutual clients.
Starting October 20, all Delta Dental provider accounts, including Delta Dental of Illinois’ Dentist Connection, will require multi-factor authentication (MFA). To ensure uninterrupted access and enhanced security, you must complete your MFA enrollment before that date.
What is MFA?
MFA is a secure login process that adds a second step beyond just a password — like an email code or security question — to verify your identity. It significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks and helps safeguard sensitive patient data.
How it works
When you attempt to log in to your account with your username and password, Delta Dental will send a one-time code by email or phone. You must enter that code on the sign-in screen of your provider account to verify your identity and complete authentication.
What you need to do
- Ensure each user has a unique login (no shared accounts).
- Share this information with all team members who have Delta Dental provider accounts.
What happens if I do not enroll?
If you do not enroll, you will not have access to your account. MFA is the new sign-in standard — it will be required starting October 20, 2025 to access all Delta Dental provider accounts.
When is it happening?
You will be able to use MFA on Delta Dental provider accounts starting September 18, 2025. You will receive communications explaining enrollment instructions to get familiar with it. MFA will be required starting October 20, 2025 for all Delta Dental provider accounts. For more information, visit the MFA resource page.
In June, Delta Dental of Illinois selected Praveen Thadani as its new president and chief executive officer. Praveen looks forward to listening to and learning from valued partners like you.
Read Delta Dental of Illinois’ news release regarding Praveen’s selection for more information.
Discover the Dentist Connection How-To Video Library
Explore our library of quick video tutorials to access patient benefits and eligibility, find electronic Explanation of Payments (EOPs), and more through the Dentist Connection.
Advance Your Skills With Dental Workforce Academy (DWA)
With Dental Workforce Academy (DWA), we offer value-added services for our Illinois network dentists and their dental office staff, including free courses, CPR certification, and additional oral health resources to help network dentists and their staff meet CE requirements and more importantly, grow and retain staff.
Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA) Certification
Delta Dental of Illinois is partnering with Apple Dental Education to offer an accredited online program for certification in dental sealant placement and dental prophylaxis for qualifying dental assistants.
Approved applicants will:
- Attend a 4.5 hour live online training
- Practice with provided study models
- Complete hands-on sealant placement under dentist supervision
Space is limited and enrollment is first come, first served. Once approved, you’ll receive course details and enrollment instructions. Fill out our form to apply today!
2025 CPR Courses
Don’t miss out on CPR courses for 2025! Dentists and hygienists will earn 4 CE credits upon completion of the CPR course. Plus, the cost for Delta Dental network dentists will be waived at registration and office staff attending will receive a discounted rate of $50.00 per person.
Register today and be sure to check back regularly for more classes throughout the year.
Simplified Credentialing Process with CAQH
We partnered with CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) to provide another credentialing option. This option with CAQH offers a streamlined credentialing process for network dentists. This process is opt-in by office. If you don’t opt-in, Delta Dental of Illinois will continue its current process for your office.
Here’s how the streamlined process with CAQH works:
With our current process, network dentists are recredentialed every three years with Delta Dental of Illinois, and likely many other carriers. Dentists also submit credentialing information to CAQH.
To make the process easier for network dentists, we’ve partnered with CAQH to use their credentialing information, eliminating the need for us to collect separate documentation. We have added CAQH information to our credentialing and recredentialing forms for those dentists who wish to opt-in and use their CAQH information.
To opt-in:
- Log in or create a new account with CAQH Credentialing at deltadentalil.com/Access-CAQH.
- Go to the “Authorize” tab.
- Authorize Delta Dental of Illinois to access your information under “Organizations.”
If you don’t use CAQH or prefer not to authorize access, Delta Dental of Illinois will continue to require documentation from network offices every three years as part of our recredentialing process.
If you have any questions, please email pr@deltadentalil.com.
Fast, Secure Payments Made Simple
Simplify the way you get paid with direct deposit also known as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Payments go straight to your bank account – faster, safer, and always accessible. No checks to lose, no delays, and no extra paperwork.
Plus, you can view your payment history and Explanation of Payments (EOPs) anytime in our secure online Dentist Connection. Sign up for direct deposit today.
Your Feedback Matters to Delta Dental of Illinois
Thank you for being a Delta Dental network dentist. We survey our network dentists and dental offices to determine how well we are meeting your needs.
Based off recent feedback, we made several improvements, including enhancing information in the dentist portal related to Explanation of Payment, developing more targeted resource materials including videos that explain how to use the portal, simplifying our credentialing process, and offering more value-add benefits like CPR trainings.
You may receive a short survey from us. As a valued network dentist and dental office, we want to continue to provide the support you need and make it easy to work with us. To do this, we need your feedback.
Best Times to Contact Delta Dental of Illinois
Best Times to Contact Us:
We continually strive to enhance our customer service to support our network dentists better. Here are some important updates and tips for reaching us and using our services efficiently.
Phone Support:
Monday and Tuesday are the highest volume days, and at times, there may be delays reaching a live agent. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in general are the best days to call to reach a live agent more quickly.
Contact us form:
We have a contact form where you can submit your questions and information to our Customer Service team. We will respond within 1-2 business days to ensure you receive the answers you need. Fill out the form here to reach our Customer Service team.
Self-Serve Options:
Our self-serve options provide an excellent way for you and your staff to quickly find what you need, when you need it to continue serving your patients.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) options:
- Benefits on Demand (press 1)
- Claim Inquiry (press 2)
- For Appeals, press 1
- For Pre-Treatment Estimates, press 2
- For the payor ID or mailing address, press 3
- For questions on an Explanation of Payment or if you have a claim number, press 4
- For questions on a payment or check, press 5
- Verify Enrollment (press 3)
- Dentist Portal or Registration Help (press 4)
- For anything else (press 0)
Online:
For Delta Dental of Illinois group members (those who get dental benefits through their employer/group) you can login or register for Dentist Connection to:
- Check patient benefits.
- Access EOPs.
- Submit claims electronically.
- Enroll a member in the Enhanced Benefits Program (EBP) (if the member qualifies).
- Access Direct deposit.
Electronic Claims – Get Paid Faster
Submit your Delta Dental PPO and Premier claims electronically for faster processing and payment. In fact, Delta Dental of Illinois can process electronic claims in half the time it takes to handle paper claims.
Learn more about the above features by exploring our dentist connection video library for quick video tutorials.
To access online information for Delta Dental of Illinois individual members (those who purchase dental benefits directly from Delta Dental of Illinois or the Illinois marketplace) visit https://my.deltadentalcoversme.com/provider.
You use your same login credentials for the Dentist Connection portal on deltadentalil.com as you do for the DeltaDentalCoversMe.com portal. And the same login works for all Delta Dental member companies secure portals on their websites.