Britons have been more likely to avoid seeing their dentist since the start of the pandemic than people of any other European country, according to new research.
A poll by Ipsos for GSK Consumer Healthcare found that 43 per cent of Britons have visited a dentist less frequently since the onset of the pandemic than was the case before, more than anywhere else. Moreover, this is expected to continue as 18 per cent of those polled said they would be unlikely to visit their dentist in the next six months.
That could have significant consequences for the oral health of the nation, with the potential for the dentistry sector to face a tsunami of problems ranging from tooth decay to gum disease. This could be exacerbated by another finding of the survey, indicating 30 per cent of people were snacking more than before the pandemic, raising the spectre of a rise in sugar-induced tooth decay.
How bad the situation is will depend on whether patients are unwilling to visit a dentist just for a routine appointment or will still stay away if they have a significant problem. For instance, a fall in the level of root canal treatment in the UK would clearly have worse long-term consequences.
Part of the problem has been manifested in the reduced level of services available, although this is now changing.
NHS dentists in England had been subjected to rules imposed in December requiring them to carry out 45 per cent of their normal number of appointments. However, NHS England has now said that from April this will increase to 60 per cent.
The British Dental Association has been very unhappy with these rules, noting that under the rules the 11 per cent of dentistry practices that have delivered 36 per cent or less of their normal contracted services have been forced to hand back the majority of their NHS funding.
It warned this has left many of these practices in serious financial trouble and at risk of closure.