Did you know that poor oral health can lead to many seemingly unrelated medical conditions? In fact, oral bacteria and oral disease have been linked to a variety of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, strokes and pregnancy complications. Introducing a dental plan as part of our wider employee benefits package can be a proactive wellbeing measure your people will really appreciate.
Importance of oral health
There is a strong relationship between your oral health and general health. For example:
- Tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs affect both your overall and oral health.
- Dry mouth, or a lack of saliva, increases your risk of tooth decay.
- Oral pain resulting in an inability to eat properly can prevent you from getting the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.
Periodontal disease
- The advanced form of gum disease, called periodontitis, causes tooth loss and is also sometimes associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia.
- Pregnant women with periodontitis are at an increased risk for delivering babies that are pre-term and/or have low birth weight.
- Diabetics are more likely to develop periodontitis, and more severe cases of it, than non-diabetics.
- People who smoke or drink alcohol have an increased risk of periodontitis and other conditions, such as oral cancer.
How can employers help?
Assistance with dental treatment is a widely appreciated benefit that employees will use every year, helping to support their overall health and wellbeing.
With the cost-of-living crisis, private dental treatment, which can be costly, is out of reach for most.
Employee funded or self-funded insurance based dental plans and cash plans can be a great way for employers to help bridge that gap. There are a range of dental plans and levels of cover that can be designed to suit you and your employees.
Contact our team to start a conversation about how you can make a positive difference in the health, wellbeing and productivity of your team.
