Brushing up on Benefits: The Role of Benefits and the Workplace

Oral diseases are among the most common diseases in the world. The Global Burden of Disease Study, 2016 estimated that oral diseases affected half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people).It also states that ‘there is a direct correlation between dental health and overall health’. The mouth is regarded as the gateway to the body. By addressing the oral health and wellbeing of employees, an organisation can demonstrate its commitment to a healthy working environment and in-turn make a worthwhile and lasting contribution to society.

An ageing population is one of the success stories of modern society. Medical advances, improved diet and living conditions and better healthcare have resulted in the rapid growth of older people. People are entering the so-called ‘silver circle’ at 55 and keeping and retaining their teeth for longer. As a result, teeth require more maintenance. Aging adults tend to require increasingly complex dental treatments and are often more prone to contracting certain diseases and sometimes find it challenging to keep up with daily oral health practices. Maintaining good oral hygiene is important across the life course. When problems occur in the mouth, they can cause difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking and smiling. These are basic functions which can affect both physical and social well-being.  Medications prescribed for other diseases can adversely affect a person's oral health and a decline in oral health can worsen existing conditions (such as diabetes), or even cause systemic inflammation.

Dental insurance benefits and employee wellness are very much linked. Most dental cover promotes preventive care and good oral health habits, which improve an employees overall health. By investing in employee health through offering dental coverage, a company can improve employee productivity and reduce costs associated with dental or health care over a life course.

Regular preventive dental exams, provided through dental insurance, can reduce lost working hours by identifying and treating problems earlier; and in certain cases reverse dental issues before they become more complicated requiring extended periods off work. Visits to the dentist can help prevent, detect and manage disease.

By offering dental insurance, a company is more likely to have healthier employees who are in a stronger positon to make a significant contribution while they’re at work. It ensures that your employees remain healthy and provide your company with the best they have to offer. Dental insurance that promotes preventive oral health can assist in reducing dental and medical costs in the future. Regular oral health exams can help detect dental or medical conditions before they become serious and more time-consuming to treat.

Studies show that people with dental insurance are more inclined to visit the dentist regularly than those without cover. Providing employees with a regular oral health assessment through a company’s dental insurance plan will increase the rates of a person maintaining good oral health across the life course. Providing dental insurance isn’t just an incentive run by an organisation to appear more attractive to employees. It can actually have a beneficial and longstanding impact on an employee’s overall health and quality of living over a lifetime. By offering dental benefits a company is proving its commitment to the health of its employees. It is also investing in them as the future of the business. By creating this culture an organisation can enhance its capabilities in recruiting and retaining the best talent.  Making oral health and wellbeing an important part of your company’s working environment can make employees feel valued and satisfied. They play an instrumental role in keeping the workplace culture alive and thriving through regular interactions with co-workers and management.

Note: David Casey is delivering the Creating a Culture of Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace session at the Irish HR Symposium 2019 on Thursday 7th March 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, Dublin. Limited places remain.

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Dental Insurance is one of the fastest growing corporate benefits in Ireland. DeCare Dental is proud and committed to playing a critical role in this development as the only dedicated dental and wellness specialist provider in Ireland. For further information visit www.decaredental.ie.