With National Smile Month now upon us, now is the time for people to confront issues around their dental health head on. However, the findings from the leading price comparison site reveal that when it comes to their health, many Brits admit choosing to bury their heads and ignore potential problems (51 per cent).
Delaying the dentist can lead to fillings, tooth decay/erosion, abscesses and ulcers to name only a few. Despite these potential problems, some people will still not go to the dentist if they can help it. With these problems being left untreated, they could knowingly/unknowingly be causing much more serious health implications as a result. Worryingly, nearly a third (31 per cent) Brits admit they have made a situation worse by not dealing with a problem when they should have.
Interestingly, going to the dentist seems to be more of an issue for the younger adults. Of those who say they put off going to the dentist, over two-fifths (42 per cent) are aged 18-24 and a further 42 per cent are aged 25-34 – a significant difference to those aged 55 and over with just 30 per cent putting off a dentist appointment.
In fact Britain is fast becoming a nation of ostriches when it comes to many problems – not just relating to their health. According to the research, Brits are also burying their heads about money issues (58 per cent), family issues (46 per cent), work problems (33 per cent) and relationship problems (29 per cent), all of which can contribute to more serious problems in the long run.
Christopher Williams, Private Medical Insurance Expert at Confused.com, says:
“Britain seems to be a nation of ostriches with many people choosing to bury their head in the sand rather than dealing with issues head on and National Smile Month has definitely highlighted this. It is concerning to see such a high percentage avoiding getting dental treatment, which can cause long term problems.
“It is worrying Brits are avoiding dealing with important issues and it appears to be a habit of the nation but there should be cover in place for dental problems that may arise. No-one knows what’s around the corner and having dental cover is peace of mind. Dental cover is a benefit on some of the higher end policies as well as being available on a number of others as an extra.”