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Half Of British Women 'Can't Afford' Dentist, Poll Suggests

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 27/04/2012 17:07 Updated: 27/04/2012 17:07

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Women Dentist

Half of British women don’t go to the dentist more frequently because they can’t afford it, a new poll by Simplyhealth suggests.

Cost was the primary reason cited by women in a poll of almost 12,000 adults, with one in five saying they feared the price would be too high due to the length of time they’d left since their last visit.

According to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), people shouldn’t leave longer than 24 months between appointments.

The British Dental Association’s chief executive, Peter Ward, pointed out that during times of financial anxiety, dental care can get ‘deferred’.

“Achieving short-term money savings at the expense of longer term health problems really isn’t wise though,” he adds.

“ Neglecting your oral health can increase both the complexity of the problem and cost of the treatment you must eventually have.”

The BDA highlights that some people do not have to pay for NHS treatment, these include include people who are on income support, those under 19 and receiving full-time education, and pregnant women or those who have or had a baby in the previous 12 months.

James Glover from Simplyhealth says: "With 22% of people that have visited the dentist receiving bills of over £300, and 44% of these paying for the treatment by credit card, it is vital that individuals plan how to cover these costs. Dental plans and cash plans are a great way of helping individuals and families to spread the cost of visiting the dentist, ensuring dental care is affordable even when finances don't allow."

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Half of British women don’t go to the dentist more frequently because they can’t afford it, a new poll by Simplyhealth suggests. Cost was the primary reason cited by women in a poll of almost 1...
Half of British women don’t go to the dentist more frequently because they can’t afford it, a new poll by Simplyhealth suggests. Cost was the primary reason cited by women in a poll of almost 1...
 
 
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vindimoo
2 Fans
20:04 on 12/06/2012
maggie thatcher let the dentists go private.the rich fat cats can afford to pay
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acerpalmatum
34 Fans
15:04 on 12/06/2012
THREE YEARS AGO I HAD A BAD FALL OUTSIDE MY HOUSE,AND FELL ONTO THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT,KNOCKING OUT TWO FRONT CROWNS,ANOTHER FRONT TOOTH OF MY OWN,AND BREAKING A FOURTH., MY DENTIST QUOTED £1500 FOR THE CROWN WORK REPLACEMENT AND TWO NEW CROWNS.I COULD NOT AFFORD IT,BEING A PENSIONER.HE REFUSED TO LET ME PAY IN INSTALMENTS.I TRIED OTHER DENTISTS,WITH MUCH THE SAME RESULT.SINCE THEN,OTHER DENTAL WORK NEEDS DOING URGENTLY:IE 3 BAD TEETH WHICH NEED TO COME OUT AND SEVERAL FILLINGS ETC. I HAVE BEEN ONCE SINCE THEN FOE AN ABCESS IN ONE OF THE ROOTS OF THE BAD TEETH.I WAS GIVEN ANTIBIOTICS AHICH CLEARED THAT UP BUT I NEVER WENT BACK BECAUSE OF THE COST.
I CANNOT AFFORD TO GO TO THE DENTIST FOR THIS WORK,AND CANNOT GET THE CROWNS DONE ON THE NHS-LET ALONE IMPLANTS,WHICH COST THOUSANDS,SO I HAVE A PERMANENT GAP IN FRONT,WHICH I SHALL PROBABLY HAVE UNTIL I POP OFF NOW.I AM NEARLY 75.
DENTISTS HAVE BECOME MONEY-GRABBERS,AND ONLY A FEW ARE WILLING TO DO NHS WORK NOW..WHEN I WAS YOUNG I ALWAYS HAD EXCELLENT TEETH AND EXCELLENT TREATMENT FROM MY ORIGINAL DENTIST,TO WHOM I WENT FOR 35 YEARS UNTIL HE RETIRED.
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danny saunders
ma nishtana?
511 Fans
19:46 on 29/04/2012
I bet the Queen can afford a dentist.
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rowroann
12 Fans
00:20 on 29/04/2012
I am not sure if anyone can afford to go to a Dentist, Proof is watching the Jeremy Kyle Show on TV. Has anyone noticed that people who go on that show all have BAD TEETH. Judging also people I have met, tell me they can't afford to go to a Dentist. Recently a friend of mine had some work don on he top teeth, Crowns etc - £10,000 it cost, her Husband had to cash in a policy to pay for them. With costs like that - I doubt very few people would be able to afford it.
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grghrd8
7 Fans
00:00 on 29/04/2012
Some women can be very spiteful towards their menfolk, so it may be better if they have them all out when they reach puberty.
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wakyracir
My spaniel is watching you
99 Fans
23:27 on 28/04/2012
It's outrageous that implants are excluded from NHS treatment. The NHS prices for crowns, bridges etc are also far too high for most ordinary working people on tight budgets to afford. The only people who can get decent treatment are either the very rich or, as usual, those who contribute nothing and live off the state.
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broncohardman
66 Fans
16:07 on 28/04/2012
This issue applies to Men as well as Women.
The problem with Dentist, is that those within the NHS are by far to expensive for many Patients that have to Pay for their Treatment.

Many Dentist still do unnecessary Dental - Work, just to make Money both from the Patient and the NHS alike, since their is NO oversight of what treatment is really needed, unlike in the rest of the NHS whereby a Patient seeing any Doctor can ask for a Second opinion, or be referred onto a Specialist.

Dental Treatment on the over hand is nothing short of a Money making Racket, along with having high Bill's to pay for what contains very little by way of materials, other than mostly a bit of Cement Fillings.
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