Nearly one in 10 people in the UK have travelled abroad for dental treatment, according to research from Canada Life.
The insurer’s survey of 2,000 adults across the UK found 9% had travelled abroad for dentistry spending an average of £3,780 each.
A third (32%) of overseas travellers went for dental cleaning, and a quarter (24%) for teeth whitening or fillings. One in five (20%) had crown procedures, followed by root canals (19%), extractions (18%), and just over one in 10 (11%) went for veneers or composite bonding procedures.
This comes as 13% of UK adults admitted to not having seen a dentist for more than five years, and nearly half (48%) said they have been put off from going because of reasons such as the cost (13%), fear of the dentist (12%) or lack of suitable appointment times (7%).
Jo Turner, head of product and proposition, group protection at Canada Life, said: “It’s understandable why many are going abroad for dentistry when the alternative of UK treatments are often a lot more expensive by comparison.
“Don’t be seduced by what looks like a bargain though. Having to fix mistakes can end up blowing your budget out of the water.
“It’s also important to shop around at home and explore where you might be able to save money.”