More than 9m people in the UK have performed a dental procedure on themselves
A fifth (18%) of UK adults – equivalent to 9.4 million people – have performed a dental procedure on themselves1, new research from Canada Life reveals. This comes as 6.5 million (12%) people admit to not having seen a dentist for more than five years, despite NHS guidance recommending individuals visit one every two years2.
Nearly half (48%) of UK adults say they have been put off going to the dentist. When asked why, 13% say they can’t afford it, and 12% are afraid or have a phobia of the dentist. One in ten (10%) cannot get registered at an NHS dentist, and 8% haven’t seen a dentist in a long time and are worried their teeth will need a lot of work. For 7%, a lack of appointments at times which suit them put them off and a further 7% say their dentist has gone private and they either can’t afford, or don’t want to pay for private dentistry.
Despite oral hygiene playing a key role in our overall health and wellbeing, 18% of UK adults are not currently registered at a dentist – and with long NHS waiting lists, a further 12% have been removed from their NHS list in the last year.
It is really concerning to see such a significant proportion of people not being able to access a dentist
Jo Turner
Jo Turner, Head of Product and Proposition, Group Protection, Canada Life said: “It is really concerning to see such a significant proportion of people not being able to access a dentist.
“Unfortunately, it is now well known that dentistry on the NHS is becoming less available and consequently, some people find themselves being removed from patient lists and therefore seeking more expensive private treatment. It’s very worrying that some feel there is no alternative than to perform DIY dentistry.”
More than a fifth (22%) of respondents receive dental insurance or benefits through their employer, and of those 73% have used it. Of those who do have access to dental benefits, over two fifths (42%) said it increased their likelihood of seeing a dentist.
“With health services being squeezed, employers can play a role in recognising dental benefits as a core pillar of their employee benefit programmes,” said Ms Turney. “At Canada Life we offer ToothFairy4 for example, a smart dental app which enables employees access to virtual assessments, prescriptions and the ability to connect directly to a dentist from the comfort of their home.
Research indicates that health and dental insurance are considered to be highly desirable company benefits. Benefits such as ToothFairy not only helps with retention, but also may help to alleviate pressure from our NHS.”
1 Survey conducted by Opinium among a nat rep sample of 2000 UK adults between 8-12 March 2024
3 Survey conducted by Opinium among a nat rep sample of 2000 UK adults between 11-15 August 2023. The respondents were asked to select what they considered to be the most desirable company benefits, perks and policies that a company can offer, excluding competitive salary, annual leave, L&D allowances and flexible/hybrid working conditions.
4 Available on all Canada Life Group Protection products, Toothfairy grants employees with unlimited access to a powerful chat function 24 hours a day seven days a week, connecting them directly to a dentist and signposting to clinical referrals. They also have access to virtual assessments, advice, and obtain any prescriptions they need for urgent issues and routine checks, as well a 10% discount on cosmetic dentistry such as teeth straightening and teeth whitening. Please visit here for more information.
Toothfairy® is a non-contractual benefit provided through Canada Life and can be altered or withdrawn at any time.