1 in 5 Brits are worried about being able to afford dental treatment
A new survey has revealed that 1 in 5 Brits are worried about being able to afford dental treatment.
A new report by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) suggests that 20% of people fear that they won’t be able to afford to go to a dentist regularly as a result of the rising cost of living. More than 10% of 18-34-year-olds have delayed appointments in the past due to cost and 10% of adults think that they may have to cut down on appointments to save money.
The report showed that 40% of adults haven’t been to the dentist for over a year. Of those that hadn’t visited their dentist, 20% said that they couldn’t afford to pay for a dental appointment.
More than 40% of those surveyed said that they were worried about the availability of appointments in the next year. The main problems highlighted were Covid-19 backlogs and waiting lists for places.
As the cost of living increases, around 10% of adults are planning to go to the dentist less frequently and 6% have already cancelled appointments because they couldn’t afford to see a dentist.
Chair of the ADG and former Conservative MP for Stroud, Neil Carmichael, said that there has been a sharp increase in living costs, which has left many people trying to figure out ways to make ends meet. Some people are now in a situation where they are having to choose between paying for dental care and covering costs, such as utilities and buying petrol and food.
The study indicated that people are concerned about the future of dentistry. Over 70% of participants suggested that they would vote for a political party that promised to improve access to NHS dentistry in their next manifesto.
