Poor oral health ‘can damage career prospects’

A new report from the British Dental Association (BDA) has offered evidence that having poor oral health can hinder a person's chance of getting a job.

Conducted by YouGov, the survey showed that 77 percent of respondents felt decayed teeth or bad breath would hinder a candidate's chances of securing employment in public or client-facing roles, compared to only 38 percent who felt the same about being overweight.

It was also shown that 62 percent felt applicants with visibly decayed or missing teeth and bad breath would be at a disadvantage in securing any role, while six in ten believed this would hinder promotion prospects.

As such, the BDA has once again called on the government to tackle the problem of tooth decay, which remains the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children.

Recently, ten pilot preventive programmes were announced in England targeting areas with high decay rates, but to date no details of the scheme have been revealed, nor has any dedicated funding been pledged.

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the BDA, said: "In a competitive jobs market people are realising that bad teeth mean bad prospects. This new evidence is a stark reminder that a winning smile isn't just for fans of selfies, it's for anyone who wants to get on in life."