Dentists hire bailiffs to get teeth into bad debts

DENTISTS are using debt collectors to chase down patients who refuse to settle bills after non-payment surged by 25 per cent post-Covid.

- Dominik Lemanski

Unpaid fees run into millions of pounds, according to one collections expert. They also warn the soaring cost of unpaid bills poses a threat to the future of the industry.

It is believed the problem grew after Covid, with the availability of Government support in the pandemic leaving some feeling they did not have to pay for such services.

One dentist in an affluent part of Purley, south London, said: "Non-payment has always been a problem, but we have definitely experienced a surge post-Covid. People simply walk out of the surgery without paying. It's a real problem for us."

Frontline Collections, which has bases in London, Manchester and Scotland, warned the surge in non-payment actually threatened the sustainability of the dental industry.