EXCLUSIVE: More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents that provide a dental benefit to staff agreed it helps them to manage sickness absence, according to research by Denplan.
The Denplan Health and wellbeing survey 2014, which surveyed 488 employee benefits decision makers and more than 5,000 UK adults, found that 32% of employee respondents view dental plans as the most important benefit in demonstrating their employer’s support for their wellbeing.
The research also found:
- 35% of employer respondents offer a dental plan to staff.
- 46% of employer respondents are considering adding a dental plan to their benefits provision over the coming year.
- 62% of employee respondents would consider a dental plan if it was offered to them, while 56% would appreciate access to one as part of the benefits package.
- 84% of employer respondents said the most influential factor behind their decision to offer a dental plan was that it fit with their organisation’s ethos and showed they care about employees.
Colin Perry (pictured), corporate channel manager at Denplan, said: “It makes sense that dental benefits are rising in popularity as one of the few healthcare benefits that are preventive in their nature.
“Other healthcare benefits focus on helping employees when something goes wrong, but dental plans actively encourage regular attendance at the dentist and the prevention and detection of oral disease.
“Many other diseases also have warning signs in the mouth that can be detected by a dentist, so regular attendance can also lead to early detection and treatment.
“With more than a third of respondents offering a dental plan to their staff, this makes dental the third most popular selection behind private medical insurance and childcare vouchers.
“With that in mind, it seems that employers understand that there is a direct link between oral health and the overall wellbeing of their staff, which is something that we strongly support.”