Patients are “struggling to afford treatment”

In April 2023, NHS dental charges in England jumped by a historic 8.5 per cent, outstripping the growth in employees’ average pay (including bonuses) by 2.6 percentage points. Current dentistry costs are leaving one-quarter of patients delaying or avoiding NHS treatment. The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned that prices for dental care are now shaping the clinical choices made by millions of patients.

Unum Dental’s most recent claims data showed an 11 per cent increase in the number of claims in 2022 compared with the previous year, but the value of those claims increased by 37 per cent to just over £24 million. That equates to more than £113 per claim on average, up from just under £92 in 2021, or an increase per claim of 23 per cent. The rising cost of dental treatment is evident — growth in the cost of claims outstripped growth in volume.