Half of Irish people don't go to the dentist, research shows

Almost 50% of Irish people have not visited their dentist in the past year.

New research conducted by DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland shows that 48% of people in Ireland have not visited their dentist in the past year, which can lead to a detrimental effect on teeth.

The main reason for the decline in dental visits is due to cost, with 72% of 35-44 year olds not attending the dentist.

While the research demonstrated poor dental hygiene habits, the majority of people DID recognise the significance of good dental hygiene, with almost 90% of respondents saying that bad teeth would impact on their success in a job interview.

Gerard Gavin Chief Dental Care Officer of DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland says that less money in the pocket is leading to a lot of unnecessary pain for patients:

"The issue is clearly affordability - because people who do not have either public or private insurance are always going to shy away from going to the dentist, and also delay having necessary work done.

"This leads to a lot of pain and discomfort, and also an awful lot more of expensive dental work later on."