Dental Problems Cost UK Businesses Millions
UK firms have lost millions of pounds over the last year as a result of employees taking time off work for dental problems.
The British Dental Health Foundation, the UK’s leading dental charity, estimated that businesses lost around £36.6 million last year due to employees taking time off sick for dental woes.
According to statistics, more than 415,000 people took time off work last year as a result of dental problems; more than 1 million people also admitted to taking time off to look after children with oral health issues.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that businesses should pay more attention to oral health, as this would reduce the amount of time lost due to oral health problems. In the vast majority of cases, oral diseases can be prevented with good oral hygiene and regular dental appointments.
The BDHF also found that it was very rare for businesses to offer advice about good oral health, with less than 1 in 10 workers saying that they receive information about oral health from their employer.
Dr Carter said that the figures show that dental problems are an issue for employers and it would be beneficial for employers to focus on oral health and encourage their workers to adopt good oral health habits. Studies are consistently lending support to the notion that oral health is linked to general health and therefore good oral health should be promoted.
Join this Discussion