Despite oral hygiene being one of the fundamental elements of good health, a quarter of people living in the region are not registered at a dentist.
The responses of 1000 adults in South Wales have been released by health plan provider, Plutus Health, who has conducted a ‘Wellbeing of the Nation’ survey. The survey is designed to understand the evolving health and wellbeing needs of people in Wales
Cost was a fundamental factor in the key findings of the survey, with a quarter of the respondents stating that they were worried that visiting the dentist is too expensive. One in five of respondents also stated they can’t afford the dentist.
Dental costs in Wales were frozen from 2006 to 2012, after the decision was taken by Welsh Government not to increase costs year on year. This was to ensure access to NHS dentistry for the people of Wales and allow charges to remain affordable while tackling oral health inequalities in the country. These survey results would suggest, however, that dental costs remain a primary concern for the people of South Wales in 2015.
Other dental attitudes identified by the survey included that a third of respondents will only go to the dentist if they feel they need work doing, and not for regular and recommended check-ups. In spite of this, one in five of the respondents admitted they felt guilty for not going to the dentist more often.
While the survey indicates that many of the respondents have concerns towards the dentist, encouragingly nearly half of people in South Wales had in fact been to the dentist in the last six months, with only seven per cent of the total respondents having failed to visit a dentist for three to five years.
The Wellbeing of the Nation survey has been conducted by Newport based Plutus Health, a health plan provider for individuals, families and corporate customers. Speaking about the survey findings, Andy Wilkins, CEO of Plutus, said “Maintaining good oral hygiene is a crucial part of our overall health and wellbeing. Not looking after our teeth and gums can result in gum disease, which is proven to increase risk of other health complications, including strokes, diabetes and heart disease.
“Incurring large dentist bills can be a worrying prospect for many people in South Wales, something our survey has identified. However, regular trips to the dentist should be a fundamental element of our healthcare routines to avoid painful gum disease or other complications, and should not be avoided due to financial concerns. There are effective ways to manage the financial responsibilities that come with maintaining good oral health and our best-selling dental care health plans are testament to this.
“While it is concerning that one in four people in South Wales are not registered at a dentist, it is encouraging to see the majority of the people who are have been to the dentist within the last six months.”
For more information visit www.plutushealth.co.uk