45% of U.S. Parents Report Missing Work Due to Children's Oral Health Issues

Delta Dental Survey Finds 6% Increase Over Last Year

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Sep 19, 2017, 00:00 ET

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When it comes to their kids, working parents take time off for all kinds of reasons, some planned and some not. Delta Dental has honed in on one particular reason – missed work due to their kid's oral health issues.

According to a Delta Dental survey of the nation's working parents, in 2015, 39 percent missed work for this reason. This past year, that number jumped by six percent.

By-the-numbers: Parents missing work due to child's oral health issues:

45 percent missed some work, up six percent.
14 percent missed four-to-ten hours, up four percent.
10 percent missed one-to-three hours, up two percent.

With kids back in school, the survey suggests that oral health issues result in not just missed work for the parents, but missed school for children.

Delta Dental advises parents that if they missed getting a checkup for their child during the summer, they should make it a priority at the start of the school year.

About the Survey: The Children's Oral Health Survey was conducted between January 24, 2017 and January 31, 2017 among a nationally representative sample of 1,588 parents of children ages 6-12, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5%.

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About Delta Dental Plans Association
Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Ill., is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through it's companies, Delta Dental is the nation's leading dental benefits provider, covering more than 75 million Americans, and offering the country's largest dental network with roughly 152,000 participating dentists. Delta Dental companies invested more than 59 million dollars in 2015 to help improve oral healthcare in local communities across the country. For more information, visit our website at deltadental.com.

SOURCE Delta Dental Plans Association