UK businesses have lost a staggering £36.6m in the last year due to people taking time off work because of dental problems, according to estimates from the British Dental Health Foundation.
Over 415,000 employees took time off work last year due to dental problems according to the charity, while more than 1.1 million people admitted to taking time off work to look after a child suffering from poor oral health.
According to British Dental Health Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter, if businesses focused as much on the dental wellbeing of their employees as they did on their general health, unforeseen absenteeism in the workplace could be reduced.
Furthermore, less than one in ten workers (7%) received information from their employers about the importance of maintaining good oral health, potentially leaving a substantial amount of people open to a variety of health problems.
"The figures from this study highlight the significant number of people who are forced to miss work each year unnecessarily due to largely avoidable and preventable oral health problems. What many employers won't realise is that poor oral health is increasingly being linked to other more serious medical conditions such as diabetes, strokes and heart problems," Dr Carter explained.
"Time and money are clearly barriers to improving oral hygiene, especially during the economic downturn, but we hope more employers will take another look at their occupational health and general welfare policies and give a greater priority to oral health."
He added: "By introducing dental health into occupational health policies, employers can not only increase the productivity and performance of their workers, but it can vitally help to reduce absence related costs too."
Bupa director of dental services Ruth Chesmore added: "Visiting the dentist for regular check-ups can help prevent dental problems in the long-term. A recent Bupa study found that only half the people we spoke to had regular dental check-ups.
"Even people who are happy with their teeth should pay attention to their dental health, as problems can happen at any time and get worse if not treated. Educating people on what to look out for can help to prevent problems and reduce time off work."
