Britons have taken out personal loans worth an estimated £60.2 million to pay for private dental treatment, according to new research by Sainsburys Finance .
The financial provider said that around 6,900 loans have been taken out by its customers to fund or partially fund dental surgery in the UK since the beginning of 2007.
Of these, it discovered some 2,450 were used by Brits solely for treatment on their teeth.
It estimated that in 2007, £9.4 million worth of loans were taken to wholly fund dental treatment, in addition to loans worth £3.3 million the previous year.
Meanwhile an estimated £3.2 million worth of loans were used for dental care purposes during the first three months of this year.
The research also found that the average size of a personal loan used entirely for dental treatment is £6,492.
According to Sainsburys, this figure is roughly the cost of two dental implants, two dental crowns and teeth whitening treatment .
Steven Baillie, head of loans at Sainsbury's Finance, said: "Some dental treatments can cost a lot more than many people have in readily available funds, which is why loans have for some time been a popular way to finance treatments and spread the cost."
*The £60.2 million figure is based on the value of loans for dental treatment in the market as a whole.






