1 in 3 Brits still struggling to find an NHS dentist

It has been revealed that a staggering 1 in 3 people in the UK are still struggling to find an NHS dentist, according to new research from Simplyhealth.

Simplyhealth's Annual Dental Survey has revealed that alarmingly just over a third of Brits (35%) struggled to find an NHS dentist over the last year, which has increased from 23% at the same time in 2008.

Perhaps more shocking is the fact that this figure soars in certain areas of the UK, with over half of the people in Plymouth finding it difficult to get an NHS dentist, closely followed by those in Southampton and Manchester, where 45% and 43% have struggled.

The severity of the situation this year has been heightened by the economic downturn, as almost half of people across the UK have put off visiting the dentist because they are too worried about how much it will cost, compared with just 19% last year.

It seems the credit crunch has hit the hardest in the capital, with more than half of Londoners putting off dental checks due to money worries, although it is a pattern being replicated across the UK.

Commenting on the problem, Abby Bowman from Simplyhealth said: "The NHS dental contracts introduced three years ago were supposed to give more people access to dentists, but as our research shows this is only getting worse. As the economic downturn continues, we may see more people turn to Healthplans that help people prepare for unexpected health problems and spread the cost of dental bills."

Simplyhealth is a family of organisations that have joined together with the sole purpose of helping people. For further information visit simplyhealth.co.uk