According to a new survey by Denplan, the number of Britons heading to the dentist has dropped markedly over the last year. The proportion of people who say they attend every six months has dropped from three in five, to barely two in five people in just one year (59 per cent to 43 per cent), statistics show. Meanwhile the numbers of people who visit the dentist regularly are down to their lowest figure since 2001 (to 69 per cent).
Of the people who don’t attend, the research shows that it’s actually the cost of the dental care which is putting people off. More than four in 10 Brits say they can’t afford to go (41 per cent), ahead of the three in 10 (28 per cent) who say fear of the dentist or fear of pain prevent them from routine dental check-ups.
According to the survey, women are finding it hardest to prioritise dental check-ups, with almost half saying they don’t have the funds to go (48 per cent) compared with just over a third of men (36 per cent).
Chief dental officer at Denplan, Roger Matthews, commented: ‘It is clear patients are finding cost an issue in the current economic climate. While this may not be a surprise, it is important the dental team focuses on retaining their patients by offering a range of payment options. Our own internal research indicates those patients using a payment plan are least likely to cancel or delay routine dental check-ups, while they provide the practice the peace of mind from a regular form of income.’