Worst ‘Dentist Avoiders’ in UK Revealed

Sept. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- As part of ongoing research into the health habits of Britons, the UK’s leading discount website has conducted a study of 2,302 people from around the UK in a bid to discover the frequency of their dentist and doctor visits.

The research, conducted by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, was carried out with an aim to discover if their financial situation ever affects peoples’ healthcare needs; focussing on dentist appointments as well as the cost of prescription drugs.

According to the research, almost a third, 32%, of the respondents stated that they do not partake in regular dentist appointments; with the majority, 66%, citing the ‘cost’ of each appointment as the main reason why. In addition to the 66% who stated cost was the main reason behind missing appointments, a quarter, 24%, admitted that they did not visit the dentist regularly out of ‘laziness’.  

When asked, "Do you think it is important to visit the dentist regularly, to keep good dental hygiene?" 61% of respondents answered ‘yes’. When asked how often they felt dentists should be visited, the majority, 51%, of those taking part answered 'once a year’.

Respondents to the study were also asked to state what area/ city in the UK they lived in. According to the results, the top cities in the UK where people most avoid visiting the dentist regularly were as follows:

1) Birmingham- 12% (of respondents who did not regularly visit the dentist were from this area/ city)

2) Hull- 8%

3) Bristol- 7%

4) Nottingham- 4%

5) Manchester- 3%

In contrast, the study found that the places in the UK that are home to people who visit the dentist most regularly included Woking, Newcastle and Exeter.    

When the respondents to the study were also asked, ‘Can you afford to buy prescription medication when issued to you by a medical professional?’ almost a fifth, 18%, said ‘no’. Furthermore, 52% of the respondents to the study thought that all prescription medication should be 'free’.

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said the following about the findings:

“Although the cost of prescriptions and dentist appointments may be too high for some, I would still strongly recommend taking the time to save a few pounds once every six to twelve months and visit the dentist. Although some of the respondents admitted that they aren’t concerned about their dental hygiene, it is still something that shouldn’t be ignored. The same can be said for prescribed medication from the doctor.”

He continued,

“If people are struggling to finance things such as the dentist, I would recommend booking the appointment far in advance and asking the receptionist how much the appointment will cost and perhaps if you could be sent a leaflet detailing the cost of procedures. This will then allow you plenty of time to save some money and prepare your outgoings for the possible expenses. If you then don’t need any procedures, you can treat yourself!"

ENDS

LINK: http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk

For more information please contact Emma Kent of 10 Yetis Public Relations on emmak@10yetis.co.uk or 01452 348211.
Editor’s Notes
Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £60 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.

Mark appeared as a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4, in which he donated £115,000 of his own money to worthy causes.

MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £600 m in the last year

Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £52m in 2009 to £65m in 2010.

MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.