Rising Costs Contributing to Overdose Fears for Dental Patients
Rising costs are contributing to increased risk of overdose among dental patients, according to NHS members of staff. Patients searching for a quick fix for dental pain are reaching for pain relief medication, rather than visiting their dentist, due to financial worries.
NHS 111 Helpline nurse, Michelle Goodman, said that it is common for patients to ring up asking for advice about dealing with dental pain and coping with accidental overdose on painkillers. Rather than paying to see an emergency dentist, patients are reaching for bottles of painkillers, with some unintentionally overdosing on analgesics in a bid to be rid of painful toothache. The situation is contributing to increased pressure on Accident and Emergency departments, which are already struggling to cope with the demand for urgent care, especially during evenings and weekends.
Figures from NHS England show that more than 950,000 more people avoided seeing the dentist last year compared to figures from 2010 and increased costs have been blamed. The cost of a basic check-up has increased from £16.50 in 2010 to £18.50 in 2014.
The problem with dental care is that avoiding treatment in the short-term is likely to result in the need for complex treatment, which is a lot more costly than routine treatment and medics are warning that failing to deal with minor issues is leading to increased pressure on urgent care services and a growing number of people unable to cope with extreme dental pain.
Shadow health secretary, Ed Burnham, has accused the Prime Minister of letting people down and contributing to “false economy.”
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