A fifth of UK adults (18% or equivalent to 9.4 million people) have performed a 'DIY' dental procedure on themselves, a poll has revealed.
A study by health insurance company Canada Life, which was described as “very alarming”, found that 6.5 million people (12% ) has admitted that he has not seen a dentist in over five years.
However, a poll of 2,000 UK adults found that providing access to dental care and benefits through employers could make a big positive difference.
Almost half (48%) of those surveyed said they had put off going to the dentist. When asked why, 13% said “I don't have money.” Additionally, 12% said it was because they were afraid or had a phobia of the dentist.
One in 10 (10%) said they were unable to register with an NHS dentist, and 8% simply hadn't been to a dentist for a long time, rather than their teeth needing a lot of work. I was worried.
7% said they were reluctant because they couldn't get an appointment at a time that suited them, and a further 7% said their dentist had gone private and they couldn't afford to pay for private dental treatment. Or they said they didn't want to pay.
Despite the important role that oral hygiene plays in overall health and wellbeing, almost a fifth (18%) admitted that they are not currently enrolled in a dental clinic at all. NHS waiting lists are long and a further 12% have been removed from the NHS list in the past year.
More positively, more than one-fifth (22%) of respondents received dental insurance or benefits through their employer, and 73% of them said they had used it.
Of those who did have access to dental benefits, more than two-fifths (42%) said their dental benefits made them more likely to see a dentist.
said Joe Turner, Canada Life's head of products and propositions, population protection.
“Unfortunately, it is well known that NHS dental care is becoming less available, resulting in some people being dropped from the patient list and seeking more expensive private treatment. There are no options other than doing DIY dental treatment. “It's very worrying that some people feel like they don't have one,” she added.