Consumers want dentists to mandatorily display prices, report says
1 min read 21 Mar 2023, 11:57 AM ISTAs per a new survey conducted by community social media platform LocalCircles, 75 percent of the respondents say they want their dentists to mandatorily display prices for common treatment like root canal or filings.
PremiumConsumers want government to mandate prominently displaying price lists for commonly availed treatments. New research indicates price difference is a major reason why many patients avoid visiting their dentist.
As per a survey conducted by the community social media platform LocalCircles, 3 in 4 respondents surveyed want dentists to mandatorily display prices for common treatments. 25 percent of respondents also say their dentists already prominently display prices upfront.
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On the issue of inconvenience that dentists will have to face due to the display of prices, the survey says, "While this(displaying prices) may seem uncomfortable to many dentists, it would surely increase consumers’ confidence and encourage more Indians to avail of dental treatment on a preventive basis rather than when they are in pain, which in most cases is too late"
The survey also found wide variations in prices for common treatments such as root canals and filings. For example, the cost of a filing ranged from ₹100 to ₹5,000, while the cost of a root canal ranged from ₹500 to ₹15,000. 33 percent of respondents said they paid more than ₹3,000 for a filing and more than ₹10,000 for a root canal.
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The results of the survey found that more people are likely to take care of their oral health on a preventive basis if treatment prices are transparent and standardized. It also found that there is a need for more ‘transparency on the side of dentists, whether working out of their clinics or hospitals’.
Over 36,000 individuals from 317 districts in India participated in the survey, with 41% of respondents from tier 1 cities, 33% from tier 2 cities, and 26% from rural areas and tier 3 and 4 cities.
