Why Corporate Dental Plans Belong in Every Enterprise Wellbeing Strategy
Forward-thinking enterprises are thoroughly reassessing the employee benefits that truly drive value and retention. Corporate dental plans are now clearly proving to be a strategic pillar in promoting employee health, increasing productivity, and strengthening overall holistic wellbeing.
This shift is driven by hard data:
- Executive Buy-in: Globally, 89% of C-suite executives rank employee wellbeing as a top organisational priority [1], demonstrating that this is a critical enterprise issue, not just an HR concern.
- The Cost-Benefit: Australian enterprises who invest in effective wellness programs see clear financial value, with studies reporting a favourable Return on Investment (ROI)— providing up to a $6 return for every $1 invested [2].
- Talent Demand: Employees are actively seeking this support, with 74% of the Australian workforce ranking personal wellbeing as one of their highest priorities [3], that makes it a key factor in attraction and retention.
Here, we will see why incorporating an enterprise dental cover for employee wellbeing creates measurable benefits that not only helps with dental health, but also impacts overall health and affects everything from productivity and retention for organisations.
Why Dental Care Deserves a Strategic Seat at the Table
Oral health is a fundamental pillar of overall wellbeing, crucial for optimising performance across the Australian workforce. This realisation marks a departure from the historical view of dental issues as purely cosmetic or minor. In Australia, dental health has traditionally been kept entirely separate from general healthcare, and this flawed approach has filtered through to corporate wellness.
Ignoring the mouth is a strategic error, as it carries serious and far-reaching implications for an enterprise workforce's health, energy, and continuity. When employees delay or avoid preventive dental care due to cost—a problem affecting over 6 in 10 Australians—they're very likely to suffer discomfort and require expensive dental treatment [4] plus much more likely to suffer from over 50 chronic systemic conditions that are linked to poor oral health, undermining the entire wellness strategy.
The True Cost of Underserved Dental Health
Annual preventive dental visits have long been recommended by medical and dental practitioners to ensure oral and general health. The decision to avoid or delay dental care rapidly scales into a significant enterprise liability:
- Financial Barrier to Care: The cost of care is a major obstacle for dental visits. Over 60% of adult Australians did not have a preventive dental visit in the last 12 months. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports that nearly 4 in 10 Australians put off or avoided necessary dental care because of cost concerns [5]. Even regular checkups seem unaffordable, leading many employees to postpone necessary preventive care.
- High Out-of-Pocket Burden: The cost of care directly discourages preventive visits. In Australia, roughly 60% of total dental expenditure is paid by individuals directly out-of-pocket [6]. This substantial personal financial burden proves that dental care is inaccessible for many employees without enterprise support.
- Driving Preventable Hospitalisations: Untreated, minor dental issues frequently escalate to emergencies that require major, unscheduled time away from work. Dental conditions are also a leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations in Australia, accounting for approximately 87,400 admissions annually [7]—an immense disruption that could be avoided with early intervention.
- Compounding Absence Costs: When dental emergencies force an absence, the cost to the enterprise is immediate and high. An unscheduled employee absence can cost Australian enterprises up to $340 per day in lost productivity and replacement staffing [8]. This cost is compounded by presenteeism, as employees who remain at work while suffering are unable to focus or perform effectively.
The Link Between Oral Health and Chronic Disease
The health of the mouth is intrinsically linked to the health of the entire body. Oral bacteria in the mouth travels through to the bloodstream, significantly increasing the risk and severity of major chronic conditions. Below are just some examples:
- Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease): The inflammation caused by periodontitis (severe gum disease) is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Bacteria from these chronic oral infections can enter the bloodstream and contribute to arterial plaque formation. Individuals with gum disease may be twice as likely to develop heart disease compared to those with healthy gums [9].
- Diabetes: There is a well-established reciprocal relationship between diabetes and gum disease. Severe gum disease makes it significantly harder to control blood sugar levels, contributing to diabetic complications. For example, Periodontitis is 3 to 4 times more prevalent in people with diabetes [10]. Proactive dental care is thus an essential part of effective diabetes management.
- Respiratory Illnesses: Oral bacteria can be inhaled into the lungs, potentially causing or worsening conditions like pneumonia, particularly in large enterprise workforces where health risks may be elevated [11]. Maintaining good oral hygiene can mitigate the risk of oral bacteria contributing to lung infections.
By providing corporate dental plans that encourage preventive check-ups, enterprises are not just covering oral health; they are taking a proactive step toward mitigating the risk and cost associated with these major systemic illnesses. This demonstrates a holistic approach to employee health that increases the benefit's strategic value.
What a Corporate Dental Plan Includes (and Why It's So Engaging)
Unlike EAPs, corporate dental plans achieves greater participation by being:
- Naturally Preventive: The cornerstone of a successful cover is promoting and facilitating routine checkups, professional cleans, and early intervention. This preventive measure significantly lowers the likelihood of future expensive and traumatic major procedures, shifting the focus to proactive wellness rather than reactive treatment.
- Universally Accessible: Everyone needs dental care. Dental plans serve a wide range of employee needs—from young professionals to parents and senior employees. The employees feel benefits have greater value and use when they cover the family.
- Simple & Convenient: High benefit utilisation demands simplicity and transparency. Nearly 87% of Australians live in close proximity to a dentist making dental plans an easy benefit to utilise [12]. Research highlights a worrying trend: a Deloitte survey found that 68% of workers did not use the full value of their well-being resources because they were too time-consuming, confusing, or cumbersome to access [13]. A seamless and clear dental plan removes these barriers.
Australian data provides that dental cover attracts very high utilisation reaching 72% each year unlike the low utilisation [14] of just over 5% for Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) [15]. Also, employees with dental cover are over 75% more likely to have an annual preventive visit compared with employees without dental cover.
Aligning Dental Benefits with Enterprise Goals
For HR professionals, every benefit provided should serve a broader enterprise goal. A well-designed corporate dental cover is a strategic lever that helps achieve corporate objectives:
- Retention & Loyalty: Benefits that employees genuinely value and actively use are powerful retention tools. When team members experience tangible advantages—such as preventive dental visits, avoiding costly dental emergencies or saving on essential family care—they develop a stronger sense of loyalty and appreciation towards their employer.
- Driving ESG (Social Pillar): Providing comprehensive corporate dental cover directly supports the “Social” pillar of ESG goals. By promoting preventive care and reducing financial barriers to essential health services, organisations demonstrate a genuine commitment to the wellbeing of their people.
- Inclusivity: Dental cover is a universally relevant benefit that supports employees across all ages and roles. Its broad appeal makes it an inherently inclusive offering, meeting the diverse needs of the entire workforce—from entry-level staff to senior executives.
| Practice | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Preventive Dental Care | Eliminates the main and financial obstacle to early intervention. Encouraging regular check-ups greatly decreases the chance of minor problems developing into expensive major procedures, ultimately saving the employee and the organisation money. |
| Extend access to family members | The value of the benefit is amplified when extended to an employee's family. This relieves financial strain and significantly raises the dental cover's perceived value, directly impacting employee morale and loyalty. |
| Educate employees on how to use it | Enterprises simply provide clear, continuous information about their dental plan through internal campaigns and digital platforms. This proactive training ensures employees get the most out of the benefit and promotes greater satisfaction. |
Conclusion
In today's workplace environment, dental health is essential to overall employee wellbeing. Corporate dental plans are becoming a must have benefit that HR departments can utilise. They address a fundamental need, produce measurable health outcomes, and strategically align with important enterprise goals like workforce equity, ESG, retention, and productivity.
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7. References
- Deloitte. 2023 Global Human Capital Trends Report. Link
- Altius Group. Why Invest in Workplace Wellbeing? Link
- Gallagher. 2024 Workplace Wellbeing Index. Link
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Oral health and dental care in Australia. Link
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Oral health and dental care in Australia (2021). Link
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Oral health and dental care in Australia (2023). Link
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Potentially preventable hospitalisations (2023). Link
- Foremind. Workplace Absenteeism Statistics - Australia 2025 (Industry Benchmark). Link
- EO Perio / Heart Foundation. Gum disease and heart disease. Link
- Australian Dental Association (ADA) / Academic Reviews. Diabetes and periodontitis. Link
- American Thoracic Society (ATS) / Australian Dental Association (ADA). The oral-lung axis. Link
- PMC. Oral health study reference. Link
- Deloitte. 2023 Wellbeing at Work Survey. Link
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Verified data: 72% of Australians with dental insurance visited a dentist in the last 12 months. Link
- EAPAA/SIRA Industry Reports. Verified data: Average utilisation for Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) in Australia is generally around 5%. Link Link
FAQs
Q: Why do corporate dental plans belong in every enterprise wellbeing strategy?
A: Corporate dental plans have proven to be a strategic pillar in promoting employee health, increasing productivity, and strengthening overall holistic wellbeing. They create measurable benefits that not only help with dental health but also impact overall health and affect everything from productivity and retention for organisations.
Q: How does poor oral health affect employee wellbeing and enterprise productivity?
A: Ignoring the mouth is a strategic error, as it carries serious and far-reaching implications for workforce health and continuity. When employees delay or avoid preventive dental care —a problem affecting over 6 in 10 Australians—they’re more likely to suffer discomfort, require expensive treatment, and develop over 50 chronic systemic conditions linked to poor oral health.
Q: What is the true cost of underserved dental health for Australian enterprises?
A: When employees avoid or delay dental care, it rapidly scales into an enterprise liability — from increased absenteeism and presenteeism to preventable hospitalisations. Over 60% of adults did not have a preventive visit in the last 12 months, and 4 in 10 avoided care due to cost. Dental conditions cause around 87,400 preventable hospitalisations each year, costing employers up to an average of $340 per day per absence..
Q: How is oral health linked to chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes?
A: The health of the mouth is directly connected to overall health. Poor oral health is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, and makes it harder to control blood sugar levels in diabetes. Oral bacteria can also be inhaled, worsening respiratory conditions like pneumonia.
Q: Why are corporate dental plans more engaging than other wellbeing benefits like EAPs?
A: Dental plans naturally promote preventive care and accessibility. They reach utilisation rates as high as 72% each year, compared to around only 5% for Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Employees with dental cover are also over 75% more likely to have an annual preventive visit compared with those without cover.
Q: How can enterprises align dental benefits with their broader organisational goals?
A: A well-designed corporate dental cover directly supports ESG (Social Pillar) goals, strengthens inclusivity, and drives retention. It shows genuine commitment to employee wellbeing by promoting preventive care, reducing financial barriers, and delivering a benefit employees genuinely value and use.
