Bento’s end-to-end digital platform was launched to decrease Florida practice costs, remove payment friction, and dramatically improve patient experiences, according to the company.

Bento, a modern twist on dental insurance, has received an exclusive endorsement from the Florida Dental Association (FDA). In partnership with Bento, the FDA will help introduce Bento’s mobile and cloud-based benefit platform to more than 8,100 member dental professionals located throughout Florida. 

“Bento’s end-to-end platform fits perfectly within digital transformation for dental professionals,” says FDA president, Andy Brown, DDS. “We’re proud to partner with Bento to support adoption of a dental benefits administration technology that allows dental professionals and patients to remove artificial barriers to care, reducing administrative costs, while improving oral health. Bento’s pay-as-you-go model is incredibly exciting because it makes oral care accessible to employers across Florida and large communities of uninsured individuals and families.”

The FDA will assist Bento in promotion and coordination of activities across the organization’s six components and with local employers. Bento’s unique business model and HIPAA-compliant platform solves many of the dental community’s issues with traditional dental benefit companies by replacing the need for employer groups, associations and individuals to contract with a traditional insurance company. Bento will also introduce the ability for practices to offer their own customizable in-office plans, greatly increasing the number of affordable options for individuals who do not have access to dental benefits. Patients see an enhanced dental experience with the Bento Dental app that enables patients to find dentists, view pricing, receive real-time estimates, and access their dental history.  

“We are honored to work with the Florida Dental Association to improve oral care outcomes for all Floridians,” says Ram Sudireddy, founder and chief executive officer of Bento. “Traditional dental insurance, which is not real insurance, has failed dental professionals and patients for decades. With the FDA’s help, we’re excited to educate practitioners, businesses, and individuals on the benefits of Bento’s transparent and highly efficient dental benefit platform and improving access to care across Florida.”

The American Dental Association endorsed Bento in June—the association’s first-ever endorsement of a dental benefits technology company.