One quarter of adults in Wales aren’t registered with a dentist
A new survey, carried out by Plutus Health, has revealed that one in four adults in the south of Wales are not registered with a dentist, despite the importance of oral hygiene to maintain good dental and general health.
Plutus Health, a health plan provider for individuals, families and corporate customers, carried out a survey into the ‘Wellbeing of the Nation’ which was designed to help the health provider understand the evolving health and wellbeing needs of the people of Wales. The survey received 1,000 respondents.
Andy Wilkins, CEO of Plutus Health, explained why the survey’s results were important, stating that ‘maintaining good oral hygiene is a crucial part of our overall health and wellbeing’. He continued to say that ‘not looking after our teeth and gums can result in gum disease, which is proven to increase risk of other health complications, including strokes, diabetes and heart disease’.
Cost was an important factor in why so many people do not visit the dentist: a quarter of those who responded stated that they found that visiting the dentist was too expensive, whilst one in five respondents said that they could not afford to go to the dentist.
Dental costs in Wales were frozen from 2006 to 2012, after the Welsh Government made the decision not to increase costs year on year. This was to ensure access to NHS dentistry for the people of Wales, and allow charges to remain affordable whilst tackling oral health inequalities in the country. However, the results of the survey imply that dental costs remain a primary concern for the people of South Wales in 2015. Wilkins said that ‘incurring large dentist bills can be a worrying prospect for many people in South Wales, something our survey has identified’.
He further stated that ‘regular trips to the dentist should be a fundamental element of our healthcare routines to avoid painful gum disease or other complications, and should not be avoided due to financial concerns,’ and continued to say that there are ways one can manage ‘the financial responsibilities that come with maintaining good oral health’.
