Victor Simonsen and Aurora Bonacucina (24) are both student teachers. According to them, these are demanding years in their lives, where there is no room to work much alongside their studies. They have to perform and prioritize every single day. Health is what they spend the least amount of money on. Especially when “everything” has become more expensive. – It is an eternal round dance. I am worried about all the doctor’s and dentist’s appointments I should have attended in recent years, but haven’t had the money for. Dentistry in particular is a big expense that you’d rather have to pay then and there, and that’s not possible, says Bonacucina. – What feeling does it give you? – I think it’s sad, because it’s my health and my body that matters. Dentist and doctor’s appointments are the last thing I can afford. Aurora Bonacucina begins to cry when she realizes what the tough financial priorities can lead to for her health in the long run. Had to use all the savings The friends both have expensive experiences. They have waited too long to go to the dentist, which has resulted in very high dental bills. Victor Simonsen says that he received some support from the student association for the dental bills, but it covered very little. Photo: Grete Ingebjørg Berge / news It was worst for Victor Simonsen, who walked with great pain in his mouth for many months. He ended up having to go to a specialist and get a root canal. The bill ended up being NOK 15,000. – I had to use all my savings. It also affected my social life. It has been hard and lonely because I haven’t been able to afford to take part in things, says the 25-year-old. – But shouldn’t you rather prioritize a dental appointment and skip a student evening or buying make-up and clothes? – Yes, but we don’t spend a lot of money on it either. What costs the most is food and a place to live, say the two in agreement. Victor Simonsen’s one dental bill alone ended up at NOK 8,000. It ended up being even more expensive. Photo: Grete Ingebjørg Berge / news Admits that they cannot afford news has been in contact with many dental clinics. Almost everyone, and all of the private clinics, say that more customers are canceling or postponing their appointments now because of poorer advice. How high a priority do you place on the dentist? I always go for my annual check-up. I wait until I have problems before I see a dentist. Many years pass between each time I visit the dentist. Show result Kari Nesse has been a dentist in Skien for 40 years. She sees a clear change now. – Many people who are called to an appointment want to change or postpone the appointment. When they call, they come up with one excuse and another. Then it turns out in the end that they can’t afford it. – What do you as a dentist think about it? – Postponing a check-up at the dentist can lead to major problems and cavities, which in turn can have major financial consequences, says Nesse. Dentist Kari Nesse in Skien says that it is especially young people who are canceling or postponing appointments now. Photo: Håkon Lie / news Struggling to pay for themselves There are clear rules in Norway on who gets the dental bill covered. See the fact box elsewhere in the article. Helfo also has an overview of which conditions mean that you receive financial support for all or part of the dental bill. Director of dental health and prevention in Vestfold and Telemark county municipality, Turid Kristoffersen, says that more people are now applying for financial support via NAV. They have no overview of the figures, but see that many are struggling to pay for themselves, she says. – It has been a long time since we have had as many outstanding amounts, or unpaid bills, in the dental health sector as we have this year. It is very sad. – Those who need it the most have the least The president of the Norwegian Dental Association says they are aware that more people are deprioritizing dental visits in the times we live in. – It is unfortunate, but at the same time we understand it, says Heming Olsen-Bergem. He thinks the worst thing about this is that those who need the most help are also the ones who have the least to deal with. – Then we like to talk to the youngest and the oldest. We recommend that the youngest make use of the discounts they receive until they are 22 years old. Olsen-Bergem is also on the national dental health committee set up by the government. – There we work to see the whole of the dental health service, in order to, among other things, equalize social differences. We must deliver our work by June 2024. Colosseum Tannlege, which has 70 clinics spread across the country, does not notice the tendency to the same extent. – Few postpone their routine appointments, but then most of our customers are also older, says Chief Medical Officer Kjetil Kaland. He adds that some postpone the large and expensive treatments, but that it has been a trend ever since the corona pandemic. Want to remove the excess for more Ståle Onsgård Sagabråten finds it worrying to hear that they are not taking advice on doctor and dentist visits. He is a GP, specialist in general medicine and head of the professional board of the Norwegian Medical Association, and advises students to try to prioritize their own health. – Neglecting health can have greater costs later and have a negative effect on their way of life at a later stage. This is also the reason why the Medical Association advocates that students, at least the youngest of them, should be protected by removing the equity up to 20 years. – A small thing that can be easily sorted out at a small cost, can become something that you have to struggle with over time and spend a lot of resources on if you neglect it, says Ståle Onsgård Sagabråten. Photo: Private He also points out that there are a number of health services that are exempt from deductibles, but which may not be as well known to everyone. – It will not cost anything to see a GP, for example, if you are struggling with psychological difficulties and receive psychotherapeutic treatment from a GP. But also when it comes to physical health, it is important that you see a doctor when you see that you have a need. Who pays the dental bill? Children and young people 0 – 18 years: All treatment, apart from braces, is free. If you turn 19 or 20 in the year of treatment, and go to the public dental health service, you must pay 25 per cent of the expenses yourself. At the same time, the public sector covers the remaining 75 per cent according to rates set by the Ministry of Health and Care. If you turn 21 or 22 in 2022, you are entitled to an extended county council dental health service, where you pay 50 per cent of the county council’s own rates for dental treatment. Source: Helsenorge.no
ttn-69
– Dentist and doctor’s appointments are the last thing we can afford – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
