The Principal Financial Group® announced it will expand its dental network to more than 260,000 office locations nationwide. With this increase, The Principal® now has one of the largest dental networks in the industry.

"This continued investment in our PPO network gives customers more access and cost-saving opportunities," says Theresa McConeghey, assistant vice president of dental insurance for The Principal. "Upcoming changes due to the Affordable Care Act may present uncertainty for brokers and employers, but this expansion shows our commitment to helping our customers get the most out of their dental benefits."

Along with the increase in network offices, the agreement also increases the number of individual dentists in the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network to more than 100,000. The Principal continuously seeks out opportunities to increase its network size to allow more members to save on their dental care.

The Principal Plan® dental network dentists agree to discounted fees and a review of their professional credentials. These discounts translate to lower out-of-pocket costs for members and a lower rate for employers. Members who use an in-network dentist experience a significant savings on dental treatments.

The Principal provides a number of interactive tools to help members get the most out of their dental benefits through The Principal Dental Health EdgeSM. Members can access information on procedures, treatment plans, network providers and basic oral health information. The site includes a cost estimator, which calculates dental costs in a given ZIP code and a database of network providers who offer discounted charges and fees.

For more news and insights from The Principal, connect with us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ThePrincipal.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $450.6 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 19.8 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

Insurance products provided by Principal Life Insurance Company, a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.

1 "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

2 As of June 30, 2013.

Principal Financial Group
Erica Jensen, 515-362-0049
Jensen.Erica@principal.com