Dental bills hit hip pockets

New research on the affordability of dental reveals that twice as many Aussies would borrow and beg than rely on health insurance to help pay their dental bills.

The finding was derived from a survey of an independent panel of 1008 Australians, commissioned by online dental comparison and booking platform AirSmile, to gauge the affordability of dental over the next 18 months.

In 2019-20, Australians spent $9.5 billion on dental services, a 2 per cent increase per year since the last the decade. The average cost of a dental examination, scale, clean and fluoride treatment averages $215, although prices can vary across states and territories, with ACT residents paying 100 per cent more than South and West Australians.

From the survey, AirSmile found that over the next 18 months, just 19 per cent of Aussies will rely on private health insurance to help with their dental bills, while almost double (36 per cent) would draw on lines of credit, ask friends or family to pay for them, and even withdraw from their super.

Specifically, 13 per cent would pay with their credit card and slowly pay down the debt each month, 8 per cent would get a personal loan for larger bills, 7 per cent would use a buy now, pay later service, 5 per cent would get family and friends to help pay for expensive treatments, 2 per cent would draw on their super, and 1 per cent would refinance their mortgage.

Just 45 per cent of Aussies said they will be able to pay their full dental bills at the time of treatment.

AirSmile founder Dr Heath Fraser, who is a dental surgeon and cosmetic dentist, is seeing a similar trend in his own practices in Queensland.

Dr Fraser said fewer patients this year have been seeking health cover rebates at the time of payment, suggesting more people have low confidence in health insurance rebates to really make an effective dent in their bills.

"At the same time, patients have been looking for their own ways to reduce the financial pressure of their dental care," Dr Fraser said.

"More patients have been asking us for payment plans this year - particularly for treatments in the $2000 price bracket. More patients are also asking whether we offer buy now, pay later services for treatments as little as $100-$200. I have had a number of patients disclose they took a loan for treatments in the $5000 price bracket."

AirSmile looked for age-based trends in the survey results. It found 54 per cent of over-55s say they will be able to pay their full dental bills at time of treatment.

younger Australians are more likely to struggle to pay dental bills in full and will use lines of credit to help with payment. Just 35 per cent of 18-34-year-olds say they will be able to pay their full dental bills at time of treatment - compared with 43 per cent of 35-54-year-olds and 54 per cent of over-55s.

Dr Fraser expressed concern over the survey results showing Australians with a higher-than-average income are also resorting to borrowing funds to afford dental costs.

"The most effective method of reducing your dental bills is to shop around before you book a treatment," he said.

"The price of dental treatments can vary greatly. A simple filling, for example, can range anywhere between $130 and $283, while a single root canal can cost between $950 and $2000, and braces can set Australians back between $6000 and $9500. Dental comparison services can help patients source the most appropriate dentist for them." AirSmile allows patients to compare specific treatment prices across dentists online without the need for a lengthy consultation first.

"I also strongly recommend patients discuss payment options with their dentist, who may be able to determine a payment schedule to help patients avoid going to great lengths to borrow money.

"I often work with my own patients who may be doing it tough by finding ways to temporarily lower treatment costs or provide a longer period for them to pay in instalments that buy now, pay later services don't currently offer without an additional fee. We also stage treatments for some patients, to stagger a treatment over a longer period of time, with the same quality result. This can also allow us to capture two health fund entitlement periods, helping reduce gap costs for the patient."