One in five adults in the UK have done a dental procedure on themselves, according to research from Canada Life.
The insurer’s survey of 2,000 UK adults found a fifth (18%) of UK had performed a dental procedure on themselves.
Almost half (48%) of UK adults said they had been put off going to the dentist. When asked why, 13% said they could not afford it, and 12% were afraid or had a phobia of the dentist.
But one in 10 (10%) could not get registered at an NHS dentist, and 8% had not seen a dentist in a long time and were worried their teeth will need a lot of work.
For 7%, a lack of appointments at times which suited put them off and a further 7% said their dentist had gone private and they either could not afford, or did not want to pay for private dentistry.
Around 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, the insurer noted.
Jo Turner, head of product and proposition for group protection at 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.”
According to the findings, more than a fifth (22%) of respondents received dental insurance or benefits through their employer, and of those 73% had used it.
Of those who did have access to dental benefits, 42% said it increased their likelihood of seeing a dentist.
Turner continued: “With health services being squeezed, employers can play a role in recognising dental benefits as a core pillar of their employee benefit programmes.
“Research indicates that health and dental insurance are considered to be highly desirable company benefits.”