Washington Dental Service, a Seattle-based dental insurer that offers coverage in Eastern Washington, is reducing rates for businesses with 10 to 99 enrolled employees.

On average, the cost of a plan will be reduced by 5.7 percent beginning Oct. 1, the company says. However, the reductions can be as much as 10 percent, depending on the specifics of the plan, number of enrolled employees at a company, and plan details such as deductibles.

Rates for one of the provider's Preferred Provider Organization plans in Eastern Washington will range from $39 to $43 per month, per employee, depending on the number of enrolled employees in a business. Those rates are roughly 6 percent lower than current rates, the dental provider says.

Spokane County has about 3,000 employers with 10 to 99 employees, according to the most recent data available from the Washington state Employment Security Department. The dental insurance provider, based on its research, estimates that the state has about 30,000 small businesses total in that size range, and says about 22 percent of those are in Eastern Washington.

The insurer says it's responding to feedback from small business owners, and brokers who represent them, to make dental care more affordable.

The rate reduction will apply to new plan policies, but existing WDS customers with 10 to 99 employees can switch upon their annual renewal date.

WDS, which has a network of nearly 4,000 dentist providers, offers dental benefits to about 1.5 million people in Washington state. It is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association.