Putting off dentist could prove costly

Shona Lyon has spent thousands on her teeth. Photo / Janna Dixon

Kiwis are cancelling potentially life-saving dental check-ups as the recession continues to bite. More than a third of women and a quarter of men are not visiting their dentists in a bid to save money, a survey has found.

The Oral-B Manual Toothbrush Study prompted New Zealand Dental Association president Mark Goodhew to suggest people were "looking at a false economy".

"They are not going to a dentist so that they can save money, but by putting it off they could be making it much more expensive for themselves in the long run."

Check-ups were vital to uncover cavities, gum disease and oral cancer which can go unnoticed for years without professional advice.

"Mouth cancers can start with small, painless ulcers. If they are detected early they can be dealt with, but left unchecked they can develop into very disfiguring ulcers and in the worst cases, can kill you."

A Herald on Sunday survey of dentists found prices for regular clients fluctuated between $40 and $225 around the country.

Lumino, the country's largest dental healthcare organisation, charges between $250 and $550 for a first-time examination.

Lead dentist Dr Andrea Shepperson said that check-ups for most regular patients would cost about $140 but the price varied between their 40 practices nationwide.

Shepperson, who practices at Lumino's City Dental in Auckland, said charges fluctuated because "price fixing" was not allowed and surgeries in different regions had their own rental and salary costs.

"We have definitely noticed more of a resistance to spending on non-essential dentistry, but we have found most of our patients are committed to spending a little money on necessary maintenance," she said.

"Households are under pressure but it is extremely important to prioritise some funding for some sort of dentistry every year."

Goodhew said dentists shouldn't charge the same amount. "Each practice will have dentists with different levels of experience, different service, use different technology and have different overheads.

"It reassures me that there is a wide variety of services available, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. I'd be worried if there was no competition," he said.

The Oral-B Manual Toothbrush Study found children's dental hygiene was still top of parents' priorities. Just 3 per cent said they had postponed their child's visit to a dentist.

The study involved a nationally representative sample of 500 people and was carried out by Consumer Link, a division of Colmar Brunton.

Smiling again

Shona Lyon never used to be able to smile at people. Her teeth were crooked and worn down after grinding them in her sleep, and she would cover her mouth with her hand when she spoke.

She had low confidence, but never wanted to spend the money on dental fees.

But when the Mt Eden sculptor reached 40, she decided it was time to shell out for a new smile.

Thousands of dollars later, the 46-year-old can happily smile at people. She visited Allen Baker at DentalOne in Remuera every eight months for five years to perfect her grin by getting her teeth straightened and capped.

"I thought it was going to be more expensive than it was, but Allen and I made a plan of what needed to be done and how I could pay for it over time," she said. "I couldn't tell you how much I've spent thousands but it's so worth it."

Although the fees are expensive - caps alone cost about $500 each - Shona said you can't be afraid to spend money.

"I think in a recession fear takes hold of a lot of people, and we stop spending on things we think we don't need. I think confidence is something we need more in a recession."

Her new-found confidence is being passed down to her 9-year-old son, who has dental check-ups every year.

"In my experience it pays to go to the dentist on a regular basis."