Britain’s obesity crisis is forcing dentists to buy supersized chairs capable of supporting patients weighing up to 71 stone.
The £25,000 recliners are four times the price of standard seats.
They are designed for overweight and clinically obese patients, but are likely to become standard issue as more people come into those categories.
A study published in the British Dental Journal said the cost implications of replacing equipment to cope with overweight patients would have a ‘very serious’ impact on NHS resources. NHS surgeries cannot turn patients away for being too heavy to be operated on safely.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said the development ‘doesn’t surprise me’. He added: ‘It comes after wider seats in planes and bigger operating tables, hospital beds, ambulances, wheelchairs, you name it.
‘With almost all new seats that are being made now for public places people are having to think about new widths because, with three-quarters of the adult population overweight, girths are bigger.
‘The obesity problem is going to go on for at least another generation so these chairs are going to be necessary.’
A spokesman for the British Dental Association said: ‘We are aware that the rise in the prevalence of obesity within the UK population is an issue that will affect general dental practice in the near future.’
The study warned: ‘Sadly, the speed of the obesity epidemic has been greater than the recognition of the impending crisis by healthcare services. Many hospitals in developed countries are now recognising the need for bariatric equipment such as beds, hoists, wheelchairs and commodes to take patients weighing in excess of 350kg (55st).
‘The cost implications for such re-equipping alone will have a very serious impact on resources, as will the increased width of bariatric beds, reducing the bed capacity of some hospital wards by half.’
At one dental surgery in the West Swindon District Centre a sign has been put up warning patients that the chairs carry a maximum weight of 35st.
In the past two years around 60 Barico recliners have been sold and demand is increasing. David Vandyke, of UK supplier Bariatric Ltd, said the tide of obesity meant the seats were likely to become commonplace.
He added: ‘The Barico has a safe working load of 71 stone. Dental chairs at the moment have a safe working load of around 22 stone to 25 stone but they don’t really work at those weights once a patient is sat back.
‘It’s something the NHS is very aware of and obesity is now classed under the Equality Act, which means everyone has the right to access services.’
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