Video: Employee Wellness Conference: How even small benefits can have a big impact on business

Watch the session 'How to introduce simple wellbeing benefits to reduce absence costs' in full.

Speaking at the REBA Employee Wellness Conference 2016 Dr Rutland said dental benefits sometimes get overlooked. “Dental benefits can often be seen as a small tiny benefit but there is a bigger benefit behind it,” she said.

“The mouth is the window to the body. We see a lot as dentists and one thing we are very privileged with is the fact that for those who do come to see us we see them more regularly than the GP or potentially the gym,” she said.

With strong links between mouth issues such as gum disease and heart disease as well as other health complications she said employees that keep on top of their oral health could have better control over the rest of their health too. “For example if gum disease is well controlled then diabetes will be better controlled too,” she said.

She also pointed out the cost to businesses of oral health maintenance revealing that in 2012 415,000 employees took time off due to dental problems and that 1.1 m took time off to look after a child suffering with oral health issues.

Dr Rutland also said that absences related to dental health issues can be longer, with an average time of 2.37 compared to 2.1 days for sickness and diarrhea.  

This video was filmed at the REBA Employee Wellness Conference 2016