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Newsletter

Brits 'paying for dental care with credit'

By Marianne Straker, Thu 1 Apr 2010 - Published in Life Insurance

People in the UK are being forced to use credit to pay their dental bills, new research has found.

A study published by medical insurance provider Simplyhealth showed that 39 per cent of Brits have used a credit card in the past year to pay for dental treatment costing over £50, while two per cent have needed to take out a loan.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that 43 per cent have chosen not to visit the dentist because of the cost, leading to 26 per cent being affected by long-term tooth decay and 19 per cent losing a tooth.

James Glover from Simplyhealth commented: "It's extremely worrying that people are going to these lengths to pay for their dental treatment and that others are delaying to the point of pain and long-term damage."

Previous research from the firm found that 75 per cent of Brits do not have their eyesight tested on a regular basis because they are put off by the cost.