Businesses with 5 to 99 employees are now eligible for coverage under Delta Dental of Virginia’s Exclusive Provider Network plan.

The Roanoke, Va.-based company expanded coverage to include small businesses, effective Jan. 1.

The EPN plan allows employees to choose from 1,500 dentists in Hampton Roads/Tidewater, Richmond and Northern Virginia.

Delta’s employee dental benefit plans cover more than 1.4 million enrollees in more than 3,300 groups in Virginia.

“This expanded EPN offering for small businesses is good news for business owners, employees and the 1,500 dentists in the Delta Dental PPO network during a tough economy,” said Dyke Davies, vice president of sales and marketing for Delta Dental of Virginia, in a statement.

The expanded offering includes a choice of deductibles, annual maximums and waiting periods for eligible employees.