Key Summary
- Research by Haleon shows many adults delay dental care due to high costs, anxiety or lack of appointments, often waiting until pain forces action.
- Untreated tooth decay costs the UK nearly £19 billion, with lower-income groups hit hardest.
- Rising child tooth extractions, flagged by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, highlight the urgent need for earlier prevention.
A study by Haleon has found that most adults fail to seek the help of dentists on time and suffer in silence due to inaccessibility and high costs, and this often leads to oral health complications.
Haleon stated that one in four adults delay visiting the dentist because of cost, almost one in five because of anxiety, and nearly one in ten (7.6 per cent) believe dental problems will resolve themselves without professional treatment.
Around 25 per cent of adults who took part in the study from 21 January to 23 January said that they delay dental visits due to worries about the price, while nearly one in three (31 per cent) said they would seek care sooner if costs were lower or clearer.
Similarly, more than one in four adults say they are registered with a dentist, but are unable to secure an appointment, while 13 per cent say they are unable to register with a dentist near their homes.
Due to these challenges, people skip routine check-ups and early interventions.
Haleon stated that a lack of this awareness tooth decay had led to 32 million lost working hours annually, costing the UK economy nearly £605 million through poor productivity.
“Tooth decay is largely preventable, but prevention only works when people can act early and consistently. This research shows that too many people cannot get appointments, are worried about costs, or wait until pain forces action,” commented Jo Cooper, general manager UK & Ireland at Haleon.
The analysis from Economist Impact, through its Health Inclusivity Index, shows that untreated tooth decay carries an economic cost of £18.9 billion, and the worst hit are the lower-income and more deprived communities.
Adults in the lowest income groups face 41 percent higher lifetime dental costs than those on the highest incomes.
The Health Inclusivity Index suggests that those who fall just outside eligibility for free or subsidised care often experience the most financial hardship.
The study found that more than half (51 percent) adults rely on dentists to address their oral health concerns, followed by social media (20 percent) and AI tools and chatbots (16 per cent).
Tooth decay among children
Commenting on the latest data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, which shows an 11 percent increase in hospital tooth extractions linked to tooth decay among children and young people, Cooper said, “This significant rise is a worrying reminder that too many are still experiencing preventable oral health problems.
“Prevention must be prioritised, with stronger action to help families build good oral health habits from an early age.”
