Nearly two-thirds of 18-34-year-olds (65%) know less about their dental health than they do about their mental health, illustrating the widespread ignorance that exists around the links between dental and both mental and physical health, a poll has concluded.
The research from Bupa has highlighted a UK knowledge gap between dental health and its connection to physical and mental wellbeing and, the health provider has argued, highlights the role workplace health benefits could play in helping to improve the nation’s health.
The poll of 2,001 UK adults also found nearly a fifth (19%) of 18-34-year-olds were unaware there is a connection between oral health and mental wellbeing.
In fact, just 13% of those polled felt they were better informed about their dental health than their mental health, a knowledge gap that is costing UK businesses thousands of pounds a year, Bupa has argued.
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A total of 85% of respondents (of all ages) to the poll did not think mental health problems have anything to do with the health of their teeth, tongue or gums.
Only 12% knew dental health can be connected to panic attacks, while just 7% understood its links to bipolar disorder.
There was also low public awareness of the links to dental health serious physical health conditions.
Just over half (53%) of the population recognised the link to mouth cancer, yet half did not. Even fewer were aware of connections to other conditions such as diabetes (25%) or heart illness (14%).
This lack of awareness is having a direct impact on the workplace, Bupa argued. Employee absences because of dental issues alone are costing UK businesses dearly, with 37% of workers needing to take time away from work due to oral pain.
That’s before accounting for leave taken because of illness that could have been detected earlier through dental visits, the health insurer said.
Those who call in sick because of dental pain miss nearly a full day (6.5 hours) on average each time, meaning a company with a headcount of 100 would be losing £4,129.87 a year, it calculated.
This was a figure that compounded significantly when mapped across the UK’s 5.6 million private businesses.
Furthermore, just 15% of workers had dental insurance through their employer and a further 10% were unaware, when asked, if dental was included in their benefits package.
Coverage dipped further among older respondents, with just 10% of those aged 45-54 having cover and 7% of those above 55s, said Bupa.
Improvements to their workplace benefits would make 34% of professionals feel more valued, the research also concluded, while 24% said it would make them more motivated and the same proportion felt it would foster more loyalty toward their employer.
Costs were the number one reason workers put off regular dental check-ups (32%) and 34% say employer support through time off, workplace insurance and clearer communication on what’s included would help them prioritise appointments. This illustrated the important role employers can play in promoting positive dental habits, Bupa said.
Ann Stewart, director of dental insurance at Bupa, said: “Employers and people teams need to balance rewarding and retaining the best talent with their businesses’ broader goals. Great progress has been made in recognising the central role mental health plays in overall wellbeing and consequently how we perform at work, but attitudes towards dental care have been slower to catch up.
“Not only do oral health issues cost people time at work, it can also be an indicator of broader health problems. Workplaces have a growing responsibility in the UK to encourage workers to prioritise their wellbeing and help remove any barriers that might be in place.
“Businesses need to prioritise manifesting an environment where their employers feel empowered to tackle any health issues they face. This can be done by investing in educational opportunities, introducing policies that make it easier for people to make time for appointments, or even investing in health benefits packages,” Stewart added.
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