Australians are skipping dental checks due to cost, survey shows
A new survey has revealed that a large proportion of Australians are missing regular dental checks due to cost.
The poll, which was conducted by Finder.com.au, involved more than 2,000 people. The findings of the survey suggest that around 12.6 million people have avoided going to the dentist, with over 40% citing cost as the main reason. Forty-one percent of those surveyed said that they don’t go to a dentist frequently because they cannot afford to. After money worries, dental anxiety was the most common reason for missing dental appointments. A fifth of respondents admitted that fear had prevented them from going to see a dentist, while 13 percent of people admitted that they had been too lazy to book a check-up.
Worryingly, 12% of people said that they felt they didn’t need to go to the dentist, despite dentists recommending routine checks every 6-12 months. Around 10 percent admitted that they were scared to see a dentist because they needed intensive treatment.
The survey showed that women were more likely to blame cost for not going to the dentist than men.
The findings of the poll revealed that just a third of Australians keep up to date with routine dental checks. According to the National Oral Health Plan, 63,000 people end up in hospital for preventable dental illnesses every year.
Bessie Hassan, health insurance expert at Finder.com.au, said that it was extraordinary that dental health is an issue in a “first-world country.”
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