New research reveals that Birmingham tops the charts as the city with the highest number of people avoid a trip to the dentist.
The statistics released today (Monday) shows that 32% of Brits fail to visit the dentist regularly due to the cost of the appointments.
As part of ongoing research into the health habits of Brits, www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk – a discount website – conducted a study of 2,302 people from around the UK in a bid to discover the frequency of their dentist and doctor visits.
The researchers aimed to discover if a financial situation ever affects peoples’ healthcare needs – focusing on dental appointments as well as the cost of prescription drugs.
According to the research:
• 32%, of the respondents stated that they do not visit a dentist regularly
• 66% cited the ‘cost’ of each appointment as the main reason why.
• Of the 66% who stated cost was the main reason behind missing appointments, 24%, admitted they did not visit the dentist regularly out of ‘laziness’
When asked, ‘Do you think it is important to visit the dentist regularly, to keep good dental hygiene?’ 61% of respondents answered ‘yes’.
When asked how often they felt dentists should be visited, the majority, 51%, of those taking part answered ‘once a year’.
And according to results, the top cities in the UK where people most avoid visiting the dentist regularly were:
1. Birmingham 12%
2. Hull 8%
3. Bristol 7%
4. Nottingham 4%
5. Manchester 3%
In contrast, the study found that the places in the UK that are home to people who visit the dentist most regularly included Woking, Newcastle and Exeter.
Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, says: ‘Although the cost of prescriptions and dentist appointments may be too high for some, I would still strongly recommend taking the time to save a few pounds once every six to twelve months and visit the dentist.
‘Although some of the respondents admitted that they aren’t concerned about their dental hygiene, it is still something that shouldn’t be ignored.’
He adds: ‘If people are struggling to finance things such as the dentist, I would recommend booking the appointment far in advance and asking the receptionist how much the appointment will cost and perhaps if you could be sent a leaflet detailing the cost of procedures. This will then allow you plenty of time to save some money and prepare your outgoings for the possible expenses.’
Ironically, one of the UK’s leadingdental exhibitions, Dental Showcase, will take place at NEC Birmingham in October 2011.
Running from 20-22 October, 12,000 members of the dental team are expected to attend the three-day event with more than 300 companies from the UK and abroad likely to exhibit.
For more information, visit www.bdta.org.uk.
