Swedes top the list in dental health – get Swedish quality dental health, right here in the UK – Banning Dental
Article and photos by Banning Dental
All smiles in Sweden
There are many things to be proud of as a patriotic Swede living away from the homeland. We are fortunate to have been raised in one of the most egalitarian societies on the planet, which is reflected in our welcoming, open personalities and respect for every individual. Our country boasts the most enviable natural landscape, rich in forests, lakes, flora and fauna accessible for all to enjoy. We are leaders in environmental sustainability, demonstrating to the rest of the world that we can all play our part in the green revolution for the benefit of the survival of the planet for our future generations.
Let’s not forget our capabilities in design and innovation. You would have to have been living under a rock for the last 30 years to not have made use of one of Sweden’s leading international exports. There are few households in the UK that don’t feature a piece of Ikea furniture, an item of H&M clothing, a Spotify account or an Electrolux appliance.
We could be here all day listing the reasons to be Swedish and proud, but here are going to focus on a rather more personal feature of Swedish citizens. Our dental health!
Swedes top the list in dental health
With a DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) rating of 0.8, Sweden scores among the top five countries for dental health. Its citizens have some of the cleanest, whitest, straightest teeth in the world.
Swedish children enjoy very good standards of dental health. Six out of ten 12-year-olds had never had a single hole in their teeth as reported by the Swedish public dental health care agency, Folktandvården. ‘The percentage of caries-free 12-year-olds tripled between 1985 and 2005, from just over 20 per cent to nearly 60 per cent.’
Equally, most adults in Sweden enjoy ever-improving benefits from the Swedish oral health system. Even with a rapidly ageing population, twice as many people between the ages of 75 and 84 have their own teeth compared to twenty years ago.
We really are a nation of healthy smiles!
Superior public health systems
Sweden is well known for having a high quality, efficient health care system that is accessible to all. The decentralised universal healthcare system is tax-funded ensuring there is a little-to-no unmet need amongst Swedish citizens. This applies equally to dental care as general health, which is a far cry from the NHS dental health crises in the UK, which currently sits at the brink of collapse.
In Sweden, the cost of dental care is covered by regional councils for local residents up to the age of 23. From the age of 24 whilst there are some contributions to be made, dental health costs are capped and subsidised by the state so that nobody is denied dental treatment due to lack of financial means. If an individual’s dental health costs reach between 3,000 sek-15,000 sek within a year, the patient is reimbursed 50% of this cost by the government.
The advantage of this is that it benefits all involved in the dental system. Dentists are guaranteed to receive a fair payment for the treatment they have given, and patients have the reassurance that they have access to the treatment they can afford.
Universal accessibility to dental treatment motivates both dentists and patients alike to practice preventative care. As a result, we are a population that boast healthy bright smiles, rather than suffering with long term conditions that are financially impossible to address.
Banning Dental Group, the multi-award winning Swedish dentists in London have found a very different story since practising in the UK. Toothache suffering Brits are turning up at over-stretched A&E departments because they simply can’t get access to NHS dentist appointments.
Their recent survey reveals that 23% of people who struggle to access public dental treatment in the UK, find themselves forced to seek help at a hospital instead. Furthermore, 11% of adults have been forced to perform dangerous DIY dentistry on themselves because of the current NHS dental crisis. It’s a sad situation when parents are unable to register their children with a public dentist and one that in the long term will only result in a population requiring more serious intervention, as conditions deteriorate.
Leaders in Dental Education and Training
Another factor that defines Sweden as a global reference for dental health is its dentistry educational institutions. Quality of care and service starts with leading education and training education. ‘Sweden claims two of the world’s top 10 dentistry schools, including the world’s number one, Karolinska Institute, followed by the University of Gothenburg in 3rd place.
Alongside their patient-focused operation, Banning Dental Group operates a training academy to ensure that their practitioners and associates have the opportunity to improve and enhance their skills throughout their careers. With the rise in demand for cosmetic dentistry, they are at the forefront of emerging technologies and techniques allowing them to create transformational smile makeovers for even the most complex cases.
You can be sure to find reassuringly Swedish standards of treatment and cutting edge innovation throughout their dental clinics in Brentford, Chiswick, Lewisham, Harley Street and Whitstable.
Refreshingly Swedish dental care
With their foundations firmly established in the Swedish dental healthcare setting, Banning Dental Group have a clear ethos when it comes to their UK based clinics.
‘We grew up in a society based on the greater good for every individual. We have seen how challenged UK NHS dentistry has become over the years. In parallel, we know that private dental care can be expensive and totally out of reach for many patients.
When we established our UK dental practices, we were determined to provide quality treatments to all that need it, not just the privileged few. Our aim is to make every dental experience smiles better by offering state-of-the-art, welcoming environments that are affordable and accessible to all.’
By working collaboratively with their suppliers to keep costs down, as well as offering flexible finance packages, interest-free repayments and low-cost dental membership options, Banning Dental Group provides excellent value in private sector dentistry and is the closest you will find to Scandinavian quality care in the UK.
