Euro Crisis Spells Trouble for Dental Patients
The European financial crisis is hitting dental patients hard, spelling trouble for the future, according to dental organisations.
According to the Irish Dental Association, funding for dental care has decreased by 100 million euros per year, despite the number of patients requiring state-funded treatment increasing. Maurice Quirke, a dentist from County Wexford, said the new laws had forced patients into a situation where they were “choosing which tooth they like better” after entitlements to treatment were heavily reduced.
In Spain, the situation is equally alarming. Pedro Ruiz, from Madrid, is one of many patients avoiding dental treatment as a result of cost. Ruiz said that he did not want to spend the equivalent of 10 days work on dental treatment.
Manuel Villa, president of the Spanish Dental Association, said that patients are choosing cheaper dental treatments, rather than more expensive long-term treatments. This is because they simply cannot afford to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on dental treatment in addition to general living costs.
The news of dental cuts is worrying, especially as studies have linked poor oral health to a host of general health problems, including a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and strokes.
Kamini Shah, honorary secretary of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, said that putting off dental treatment would mean that dentists are unable to spot symptoms of dental diseases and other conditions, including oral cancer. This indicates poor dental health symptoms will increasingly worsen before treatment can be provided. Shah said that the “mouth is a mirror to the rest of the body” and it is important that dental care is considered a priority by governments.
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