A new study by private medical insurance provider Simplyhealth has found that nearly half of people in the UK are avoiding going to the dentist for a check-up due the increasing costs involved. It was revealed that 40 per cent of Brits see dental care as something that can be ignored when money is tight, as well as not being sure what a dentist can help them with and don’t take their kids regularly to the dentist.
The poll, which questioned 10,000 adults in the UK, also revealed that one in nine have not visited a dentist within the last nine years, that half of parents don’t take their children to the dentist until it is too late, which means that over one in 10 kids need a filling before they get to five, and that around a third of all children have made an emergency visit to the dentist during the last five years.
In addition, the survey showed that men were less likely to go to the dentist, and that more than a third of them admitting this was because dental treatment was not essential. Another 19 per cent stated that they could manage their own dental health without the help of a dentist.
James Glover, corporate sales and marketing director at Simplyhealth, commented "It’s surprising that so many people see visiting the dentist as a luxury. "We’re not talking about a holiday, or a new car, but protecting your dental health, which is an everyday health need."
