One in three drops the dentist due to cost

At the dentist.Photo: Frank May / NTB scanpix

One in three Norwegians either postpone or cancel dentist appointments for economic reasons, according to a new survey.

 

The questionnaire was conducted by Opinion for FriFagbevegelse.no and Dagsavisen. Among those who report an annual income below 300,000, almost half of them respond that they have either deferred or put off going to the dentist for economic reasons.

Dean and Professor Pål Barkvoll at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Oslo believes that National Insurance should cover a larger proportion of the expenses.

“It’s expensive to go to the dentist today. There is no doubt about it. There are also huge costs linked to doing dental practice. The public should take greater responsibility for the expenses for necessary dental treatment,” says Barkvoll to FriFagbevegelse.no.

The survey was conducted between 9-15 October and 1,003 people participated. A total of 33 percent agree that they have either postponed or canceled dentist appointments for economic reasons. In addition, 14 percent report that they have had to secure loans in order to carry out necessary dental treatments.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today