Children’s dental visits force half of parents to work evenings and weekends

New data showing 46% of working parents have to work extra hours on evenings or weekends to make up for children’s dental appointments has highlighted the impact of the childhood oral health crisis on productivity.

A further 45% of parents said they had missed vital work commitments, deadlines, or meetings because of their children’s dental issues, with four in 10 saying their child’s oral health had directly disrupted their work days. For almost one in five (19%), the disruption had occurred more than once.

Of 1,000 parents surveyed, 12% said that their child had taken more than six days off school specifically for dental issues in the past 12 months. For 18% of them, needing to work on evenings or weekends to catch up on time lost to children’s dental appointments or emergencies has become a regular occurrence.

These figures were published by Bupa Dental Care as part of a new campaign to help families tackle oral health anxiety early and curb the knock-on effects on UK businesses.

Bupa’s director of dentistry, Neil Sikka, said: ‘These findings clearly show that children’s dental health is no longer just a domestic issue, it is a workplace productivity issue. When a child suffers from dental pain or misses school, the operational burden heavily shifts to the parents, forcing many to miss critical meetings or log on during weekends just to catch up. 

‘By managing children’s oral health proactively, we can prevent the acute pain and dental emergencies that lead to sudden absenteeism, ultimately helping parents maintain a healthier balance between family life and their professional commitments.’

Why are children’s dental visits becoming more disruptive?

Further research by Bupa Dental Care found that more than half of young children in the UK admit to fibbing to parents about brushing their teeth.

It showed:

• 56% of children admit to fibbing about brushing their teeth
• 41% brush for a minute or less, despite guidance to brush for two minutes, twice a day
• 13% of children feel anxious about visiting the dentist, rising to 22% of parents.

Nearly half of parents (46%) said they worry their child is not brushing effectively. An additional 29% were concerned that their child is not brushing for long or often enough.

Among children who reported feeling anxious about visiting the dentist, common triggers included:

• Dental equipment (52%)
• Loud noises (46%)
• Bright lights (34%)
• Fear of the dentist themselves (27%).

Parental anxiety was also found to play a role. Nearly one in five children (18%) said a parent’s nerves make them feel more anxious, while 22% of parents admitted they felt nervous too.

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