As far as general health goes, people are still not maintaining proper and basic dental hygiene standards. This should not be the case, as teeth are as important as every other part of the body. As such, they require all the care and attention that they can get, which is why we need more education about dental hygiene.
Here are the critical findings from the latest survey from UK dental accountants Hive Business, as part of National Smile Month 2022:
When asked the question in the UK oral hygiene survey, “how frequently do you visit a dental hygienist?”, 33% of respondents declare they currently were not registered with a dental hygienist.
With this response, one might wonder if the high cost of living in the UK is a discouraging factor for a lot of people in getting a dental hygienist.
Hygienist treatments are reportedly priced between £23 and £282 in the UK depending on the specific band course of treatment for aspects such as fillings, crowns, dentures, teeth removals, root canal work, and bridges, which may be expensive for many.
Nonetheless, having a dental hygienist is highly important as they not only offer regular checkups but also specialize in other issues such as tooth complications.
In what can be seen as some good news, 49% of respondents attested to the fact that they visit the dentist more than four times a year.
This is quite impressive considering that dental professionals recommend visiting the dentist at least twice a year. People who have health conditions such as pregnancy, diabetes, a weak immune response, being prone to frequent plaque build-ups, or gum disease might have to see the dentist more regularly. This could explain why some people visit the dentist more than the average amount.
With these people going the extra mile to take of their oral hygiene, it will enable opportunities to detect devastating illnesses such as oral cancer. The best thing for people to keep their dental visits to a minimum is by always following the dentist’s advice. Always clean plaque regularly between the teeth daily via using interdental brushes or by using dental floss.
Sharing might be caring, but not when a toothbrush is involved! 28% of respondents reveal that they have shared a toothbrush at least once at some point.
Not only is it wrong for anyone to share their toothbrush. But it is also highly unhygienic because doing so could lead to the spread of germs. Especially, bacteria and other oral infections.
A toothbrush should only be used by a single individual. It should also be changed every three months. It is important for the toothbrush to be changed regularly so that the bristles still remain effective. Additionally, this ensures that the accumulation of bacteria is at a low amount.
Additionally, a remarkable 39% of 25-34-year-olds reveal they brush their teeth less than once a week. That’s quite a huge amount. Still; imagine all the different plaque cavities that could accumulate during that period. Especially after a week people would have eaten so much food and drank a variety of drinks. Some of which would definitely contain sugar.
All of these statistics are proof that when you ignore dental hygiene, it can spiral into serious health challenges. These can require the individual to pay huge sums of money for treatment for an issue that they could avoid.
Taking care of your body should always involve maintaining good oral hygiene. This can prevent diseases and infections that often come with not doing so.
Hopefully, with enough awareness and education, more people can be better informed. Thereby, they can start to take the right steps toward maintaining good dental hygiene. It is never too late to do so!
