The British Dentistry Association is warning that oral health is set to worsen following research highlighting the lack of access to NHS dentistry. The research found that in the last year 6.5 million children have not seen a dentist in the last year.
Not seeing a dentist regularly increases the likelihood of complications later in life such as tooth decay, gum disease, HPV and mouth cancer.
Decline in NHS
It is no breaking news that access to NHS dental services is dwindling, due to lack of funding more and more NHS dental practices are being forced into closure or becoming a private practice. If this trend continues NHS dentists will be a thing of the past by 2025, meaning all patients will have to look for private dental care in order to maintain their oral health.
However, this trend is not new. Many patients have already noticed the decline in NHS practices and made their move to private care. The key aspect people worry about with private dental care is the cost. There are many factors that can influence the costs at a dental practice from geographical location, whether it is chain or family run, the economic climate and access to specific equipment. This influx of new patients coming from former NHS practices have caused practices to start filling up quick, this is why it is important to get registered at a private dental practice early so you have more choice over the distance to you will have to travel to your chosen practice and the you can have a choice of cheaper practices rather than being forced into an expensive one just because they have availability.
Choose the right dentist
Here at Secrets Medical Centre, we are a family run practice and offer outstanding treatment at a low cost. Our new patient exam is just £60, with subsequent checkups just £40. You can also sign up to our Denplan scheme for just £22.49 a month (£5.83 a week!) and recieve 2x free checkups, 2x free scale and polish and a further 10% discount on any further treatment needed, cosmetic treatment and our aesthetics clinic. Parents who subscribe to our denplan also recieve free checkups for their children (Ts and Cs apply) so why not give us a call or visit our website and get in while you can!