Six in ten (61%) NHS dental patients would consider paying for private dental care, with the top reason being to access faster treatment (39%), according to new data from Denplan, the leading dental payment plan provider’s Oral Health Survey 2024.
Almost two-fifths (38%) of those who would consider going private would do so if they were unable to get an appointment with an NHS dentist, and just over a third (34%) would do so if they could get treatment that was unavailable on the NHS.
The report surveyed over 5,000 consumers, making it one of the largest surveys of the dental habits of adults in Great Britian.
The new data reveals that a fifth (20%) of Brits currently use private dental care, a 2% increase from 2023’s survey. Three in ten current private dental patients started seeing a private dentist in the past two years.
Currently 13 million Brits are unable to access NHS dentists according to the British Dental Association*, and many live in areas now classified as “dental deserts” where there is a lack of NHS dentists.
Denplan’s survey found that nearly a third (29%) of those who don’t visit a dentist regularly (less than every two years) say it’s because they can’t find or access a local NHS dentist – an increase of 12% compared to 2021.
The data shows that people who had a monthly dental payment plan (8%) – which helps spread the cost of payments – were less likely to worry about the cost of dental appointments (23%) (compared to 31% on average).
Of those who had a payment plan, the top three reasons for having it are peace of mind (43%), to help with budgeting (42%), and to help spread the costs of treatment (40%).
Patients with health cover were also more likely to go to the dentist regularly, with 90% of people with a health plan – which allows you to claim back the cost of dental treatment – going to the dentist or hygienist at least once every 2 years (vs. 70% who have no health cover).
Dr Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at Denplan, said:
“People are considering switching to private dental care to get faster appointments and additional treatments.
“The cost of dentistry can feel like a reason not to attend which is why it’s important that financial support is available. We are seeing an increase in dentists and patients asking for dental payment plans, which help patients to budget and encourages them to go for more regular checkups and take a preventative approach to their dental care. Employers are also helping their staff claim back the cost of dental care by including dental cover in their health plans.”
The full results from Denplan’s Oral Health Report containing details on visiting habits, oral hygiene habits and views on government proposals around dentistry, will be published on 16 October 2024.