More than half (53%) of respondents believe that an organisation that offers dental insurance as an employee benefit cares more about its employees’ wellbeing than an organisation that does not offer this, according to research by Unum Dental.
Its survey of 1,000 full-time employees also found that 48% of respondents under the age of 35 admit that cost puts them off making a dental appointment.
The research also found:
- 21% of respondents cite taking time off work as a barrier to visiting the dentist.
- 38% of respondents state cost as a barrier to visiting the dentist, and 25% cite fear of pain.
- 74% of respondents feel that having bad teeth would negatively affect their confidence at work when presenting or interviewing.
- 23% of respondents are not registered at a local dentist.
Andrew Bower, managing director at Unum Dental, said: “The rising cost of dentistry now means the sizeable impact on people’s wallets scares them more than the treatment itself.
"As we have seen from the research, offering dental insurance improves [an employer's] reputation as [an organisation], and can help maintain a confident and healthy workforce, a combination every [organisation] is striving for. Dental insurance is a cost-effective benefit for employers of all sizes to offer, and a tangible way to show they’re [an organisation] that cares.”
