A deep-rooted problem and gaps that require filling

We all agree that dental is a business problem. So why is nobody stepping forward with a solution, asks Toothfairy chief executive Dr. Deepak Singh-Aulak.

Dental problems, and the absence that comes with them, are part of working life in any business. Search “dental crisis” in Google and see what comes up. The headlines are constant: an understaffed and overstretched NHS, no appointments available, and practices forced to close their doors to new patients.

Closer to home, we all know colleagues who take a long lunch, start late or leave early for a routine check-up, or because they have toothache they’re forced to deal with alone.

Benefits teams hear about it all the time, too. Six out of ten (62%) businesses say dental has come up in benefits surveys, pulse checks or direct conversations with HR and line managers, according to Toothfairy and YouGov research.

So the problem is widespread. Most leaders also accept it has a cost: 92% believe dental absence will have a negative effect on their business operations according to Toothfairy and YouGov research.

So why is nobody acting on it?

Reason one: no data, no business case

Part of the answer is data. Only 38% of businesses collect absence data in enough detail to track dental absence by cause, according to Toothfairy and YouGov research. Without that, you can’t put a figure on the cost to the business, and without a figure there’s no ROI case. Investment in a solution stalls before it starts.

It doesn’t have to stay that way. Operose Health used Toothfairy’s Dental Absence Calculator to build a business case that was signed off within two weeks. Support for their people went live within two months.

Reason two: “they can sort it themselves”

Nearly a quarter (23%) of leaders believe employees can arrange dental care on their own according to Toothfairy and YouGov research.

For some people, that’s true. But UK residents are now subject to a postcode lottery when it comes to treatment access. For example, employees in Bristol, parts of London, Norwich, Northampton or Cheltenham have an 80%+ failure rate when it comes to registering with an NHS dentist, never mind getting treatment.

If your workforce is spread across the country, your exposure will vary a lot from site to site. Check NHS acceptance rates near your offices and you’ll see how many of your people are left to fend for themselves.

The bottom line

Dental is now the most common unmanaged health risk in the UK workforce. Employee demand is rising because access is getting harder, and the problem is getting worse.

Nine out of ten (92%) of us agree dental absence hurts business. The gap between problem and solution isn’t belief, it’s evidence and a plan. Closing it is quicker than most people think.

You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and right now most of us aren’t measuring dental absence at all. The leaders who act first won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets. They’ll be the ones who can put a number on the problem.