Over 50’s Increasingly Worried by Dental Bills
A new survey has revealed that over 50’s are growing increasingly concerned about the cost of dental treatment.
According to the survey, which was conducted by Saga, 59 per cent of people over the age of 50 believe that rising costs are the main barrier to dental treatment, while 40 per cent of participants admitted to having to pay for emergency dental care at an average cost of £228.
The survey also flagged up concerns such as being able to get an appointment, a lack of local services and delays to appointment times.
The survey comes after studies showed that poorer people are more likely to suffer from tooth loss and dental health problems than wealthier people. Research carried out at Newcastle University suggested that on average, poorer people aged over 65 have 8 fewer natural teeth than richer people; figures related to the poorest and richest fifth of the UK population.
The cost of dental care on the NHS is increasingly steadily, but NHS treatment is still significantly cheaper than NHS treatment and dental experts recommend keeping up to date with routine appointments, which cost less than £20, in a bid to reduce the chances of requiring more intensive and costly treatment further down the line.
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