Lowering the cost of dental work

Over ten million people are forced to go private as they cannot get NHS appointments, according to new research.

The UK’s private dental treatment costs are the most expensive across Europe. The annual dental survey from Simplyhealth found that one in three cannot get treatment on the NHS.

The survey found that 29% of people are struggling to find an NHS dentist this year, 10% less than last year. However, this figure jumps to 35% in the South East.

NHS dental charges may be considerably cheaper than going private, but there was a 3% rise from 1st April this year for such charges, adding to the financial pressures of many Brits. This leaves 27% of the nation feeling that visiting the dentist is now a luxury.

The average price of a non-white small tooth filling at a private dentist is around £77 compared to the £47.00 on the NHS.

The research also found that 43% of 18-24 year olds say they are put off from visiting the dentist because of costs, compared to just over a third for over 55 year olds.

The majority of people 64% have not had a dental bill of more than £150 in the last year. However, 16% have been hit with a bill over £150 and have subsequently been forced to use a credit card to pay for it. This illustrates that many are not financially prepared for the costs associated with caring for oral health and unexpected costs may lead them into personal debt.

The report said, “It is worrying to see that so many people have had to put off dentist appointments because of cost, and this could be having a major impact on the nation’s dental health.”

Tooth Fairy on a budget
 
The tooth fairy is also feeling the pinch as 11% of households say the tooth fairy does not visit at all. However, 62% of homes say that when she does, the going rate is between £1 and £3. 19% of UK households would leave anything less than 50p and 3% of households will leave over £5 for each tooth.
 

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2011-11-10 17:22:55 © Moneyextra.com