The lower a person’s income in the Netherlands, the less often they go to the dentist, according to data from national statistics office CBS.

Of the people surveyed by CBS, 70% of those in the two lowest income groups visited the dentist once or more in 2015. In the highest income bracket, that figure rises to 90%. The nationwide average is 80%.

Dental care for adults is not covered by basic insurance but children under 18 years old are. Regardless of income, 80% of under-18s visited the dentist in 2015.

Conversely, poorer people visit their family doctor, medical specialists and psychologists more often than those with more money to spend. These services are covered by basic insurance, the CBS points out.

Dental care must return to basic insurance cover, socialist party MP Renske Leijten told the AD. ‘In the past you could tell from someone’s teeth how much they earned, and that’s the way it is again. It’s terrible,’ she said.