Simplyhealth has launched a new workplace dental health plan, offering money towards routine check-ups and hygiene visits.
The plan, Simply Dental, offers cash back up for both private and NHS treatment. There is an annual limit that can be claimed against a range of dental care, including fillings and extractions to X-rays, scans, prescriptions and more complex treatments.
Members will also have access to worldwide dental emergency cover and a 24/7 emergency helpline. The plan also provides access to a range of third party on-demand discounted and self-pay health and wellbeing services — including at-home diagnostic testing to eye health care options.
Simplyhealth says that poor oral health can have a measurable impact on businesses and the wider economy.
In its 2024 Oral Health Survey it found a quarter (26 per cent) of those surveyed said that dental pain has affected their work, with 18 per cent saying it has specifically affected their workplace productivity.
This is in part a result of a quarter (25 per cent) of adults also admitting they do not visit the dentist for a check-up at least once every two years, as recommended.
Almost one in four (38 per cent) said affordability was one of the main reasons they did not visit a dentist regularly. In addition, the Oral Health Foundation reported last year that NHS dentistry costs have increased beyond the rate of inflation, with treatment charges surging around 50 per cent over the past decade.
Simplyhealth head of commercial product and partnerships Marc Singh-Jones says: “Employers recognise the value that workplace health benefits provide, not just in attracting and retaining staff, but ensuring their workforce has access to preventative healthcare.
“A healthy workforce takes fewer sick days, is more productive, and feels happier at work. We have developed Simply Dental, our new digital-first workplace dental benefit, to be affordable and flexible to meet the needs of different businesses and their diverse workforces.”
He adds that this builds from the foundations of Simplyhealth’s 150 years’ experience in providing workplace cash plans, and leverages the knowledge and expertise of Denplan, the dental payment plan.
Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, has more than 6,600 member dentists nationwide and covers more than 1.5m patients . A dental payment plan is designed for dentists to offer to patients to help spread the cost of dentistry.
In contrast Simply Dental is a workplace benefit health product, offered through the employer. Employees are not required to use a Denplan dentist to utilise it.
Simplyhealth says this can be offered as a stand-alone benefit or in combination with its other health plans.
