ANDOVER, England, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

ANDOVER, England, April 1 /PRNewswire/ --

An overwhelming majority (71%) of employers believe that companies are responsible for looking after the oral health of their employees. This is according to Simplyhealth's Annual Dental Survey, which surveyed 255 Human Resources Managers/Directors via independent research agency Opinion Matters. On top of this, 40% of companies who offer dental benefits believe they help with increasing employee engagement, providing an overwhelming case for more companies to consider dental benefits.

James Glover, Corporate Director at Simplyhealth, comments, Despite companies seeing their value, only 56% of respondents actually offer dental benefits. However, of these employers offering dental benefits, nearly half believe they help to reduce absence for dental health problems, and 48% believe it makes it easier to monitor time off for dental appointments. These results are crucial since they demonstrate the value dental benefits bring to the employer.

When looking at the barriers to implementing dental benefits, it may be unsurprising to learn that the main one is cost, with complexity coming a close second. However, with the perception that access to good dental care has become difficult, employers who are serious about the wellbeing of their staff should be looking seriously at making provision for dental treatment.

Dental benefits do not need to be expensive or complicated to administer. They can be purchased on a stand alone basis or as part of a package of benefits in a Health Cash Plan. At Simplyhealth we are passionate about the health of UK businesses, so offer a range of simple and affordable employee and employer-paid Healthplans via our HSA and HealthSure brands. These Plans will enable employees to better access dental care, whether for check-ups, treatment or emergencies, concludes James.

The survey also unearthed the following results:

- 84% of HR Managers are concerned that their employees cannot afford to look after their oral health, compared to 73% last year - 64% of HR Managers think that introducing dental benefits would improve staff morale, compared to 51% last year - 56% of HR Managers believe dental benefits would help reduce sickness absence and 54% believe they would enhance recruitment and retention

Previously known as HSA, BCWA, HealthSure, LHF and Totally Active, Simplyhealth is a family of organisations that have joined together with the sole purpose of helping people. For further information visit http://www.simplyhealth.co.uk or speak to someone in one of our UK call centres on 0800-072-6717.

Notes to Editor

- Previously known as HSA, BCWA, LHF, HealthSure and Totally Active, our family of health companies have joined together over the last 8 years to form Simplyhealth - At Simplyhealth, we have been providing healthcare solutions for over 137 years, dedicated to serving our customers through a variety of Mobility and Living aids, Health Cash Plans, Dental Plans and Private Medical Insurance - We at Simplyhealth, are committed in our constitution to our responsibility of making a positive impact on our communities. Each year, we help health related charities and causes to the tune of at least GBP1million - Simplyhealth is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority - As of December 2008, our Healthplans had 1.2 million customers providing cover for some 2.1 million people

For further information, please contact: Abby Bowman, Senior Brand and PR Manager +44(0)1264-342561 Caroline Lakeman, Public Relations Executive, +44(0)1264-342570 Rebecca Jeremy, Public Relations Assistant +44(0)1264-342400 Or pr@hsa.co.uk Out of hours contact information: Abby Bowman on +44(0)7795-294448

For further information, please contact: Abby Bowman, Senior Brand and PR Manager +44(0)1264-342561; Caroline Lakeman, Public Relations Executive, +44(0)1264-342570; Rebecca Jeremy, Public Relations Assistant +44(0)1264-342400 Or pr@hsa.co.uk; Out of hours contact information: Abby Bowman on +44(0)7795-294448