Nearly two in five Brits have had to pay for dental bills of more than £50 on their credit cards, with 2 per cent even being forced to take out a loan.

Cash-strapped families are also shying away from going to the dentist altogether, with more than two in five of us not visiting the dentist because of the cost, according to Simplyhealth’s Annual Dental Survey.

Difficulties in finding an NHS dentist – with more then three in five not being able to get dental help from the Government for themselves or their children – are adding to the pain, according to the research from specialist health insurer Simplyhealth.

James Glover from healthcare provider Simplyhealth, said: “It’s extremely worrying that people are going to these lengths to pay for their dental treatment and that others are delaying to the point of pain and long term damage. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be like this. By putting aside just a little a week, health cash plans and dental plans can help take away the financial bother of dental care. For example, a cash plan can start from just £2.25 a week providing cover for dental visits, optician appointments, complementary therapies and more.”

Delaying dentist visits have resulted in a quarter of people suffering long-term tooth decay, and one in six have gone straight to A&E with tooth pain, by-passing the dentist altogether.

Alison Steed and Liz King