Almost a million people in the UK have avoided attending dental appointments since 2010 because they are unable to afford the rising cost of care – some patients are at risk of overdosing on painkillers as they try to self-medicate in an attempt to avoid the high prices of NHS dentistry.
NHS England revealed that 951,000 people in the UK chose not to visit the dentist when they needed to in the last four years, as the cost of a basic NHS check-up rose 12% during that time period – rising from £16.50 to £18.50.
Nurse Michelle Good man at the NHS 111 helpline told the Mirror that there has been a ‘huge increase’ in patients trying to access treatment but being unable to do so due to the cost. She added that this has caused some to ‘unintentionally overdose with over-the-counter analgesics.’
This rise in dental patients avoiding the dentist has also put pressure onto hospitals that are already over-stretched as many people have decided to go to A&E so that they don’t have to pay for treatment for things like toothache. This problem has been called a ‘false economy’ by shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.