Bosses know their staff would love dental health care plans – but are refusing to implement them.

That's according to a survey of 321 businesses throughout the UK which reveals that 65% believe employees would most value dental care contributions above any other healthcare benefits.

But the investigation also reveals that 67% of them would refuse to implement them because they're deemed as ‘too expensive'.

The research is part of healthplan provider HSA's Annual Dental Survey 2008.

The poll discovered that a quarter of people think looking after their teeth is now unaffordable and 500,000 fewer people are regularly going to the dentist when compared with two years ago.

Richard Halley, Head of B2B Sales at HSA, said: ‘By dismissing dental benefits companies could be letting their employees and themselves down.

‘Especially since over a quarter of working people surveyed as part of our consumer survey claimed that looking after dental benefits was unaffordable, and 42% thought they could do more to look after their oral health.

‘This could impact recruitment and retention as dental benefits could really attract employees.

'Additionally, if working people are putting off visiting the dentist due to cost, this could result in their oral health worsening, which could affect sickness absence.

'Some two-fifths of those polled said they thought NHS dentistry would disappear in the future – forcing all people to take up private dental insurance.

• From today NHS dental charges for an examination, advice and any necessary x-rays or scale and polish, the charge will go up by 30p to £16.20.