While it’s fair to say that oral health care standards have come a long way over the years, it’s also pretty clear that there’s still plenty of room for improvement. These days, every single one of us knows what we should and shouldn’t be doing with regard to looking after our teeth and our oral health in general. Nevertheless, research continues to suggest that a rather worrying proportion of us are ignoring expert advice and allowing our oral health and hygiene to suffer.
Which is a shame, given the way in which oral health is directly connected with both self-confidence and general physical health. More adults than ever before are investing in the best teeth whitening kits in 2016, but actually focusing on quality of oral healthcare is something that often gets pushed to one side.
So in order to emphasise the importance of a high-quality oral health regime, here’s a quick rundown of 30 eye-opening facts and figures you might find surprising:
- First of all, it might surprise you to learn that approximately 25% of all adults admit that they do not brush their teeth at least twice a day. The statistic is even more unfortunate for men – 33% of whom don’t brush twice a day.
- In addition, approximately 10% of adults admit that they forget to brush their teeth on a regular basis and cannot say for sure how many times they have missed brushings.
- At least 50% of adults are unaware of the technological advances made in everyday oral healthcare over the past couple of decades. The best water flosser for gum disease for example is a device most have never come across.
- Incredibly, research suggests that a little more than 20% of all adults regularly use any kind of flossing tools or devices.
- Likewise, somewhere in the region of 75% of adults admit that they do not use mouthwash on a regular basis.
- In fact, for approximately 45% of adults, the only oral health care tools and products in their lives are their toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Back with flossing, approximately a third of all adults admit that they have in fact never flossed even once in their entire life.
- The vast majority of adults fail to realise that the likelihood of developing tooth decay increases by more than 33% by cutting out one daily brushing.
- As of 2015, the UK public was spending a combined 5.6 billion every single year on dental treatments.
- Across the United Kingdom, approximately 65% of adults state that they make regular appointments with their dentist. Though still far from ideal, this is considerably better than the state of things in 1978 when no more than around 40% visited dentists regularly.
- While around 20% of adults make dental checkup appointments once every year, around 50% do so twice annually.
- At least 25% of British adults have not been to the dentist in at least two years.
- Rather than viewing dental health checkups as proactive and preventative, around one in every four adults admits to only even consider going to the dentist if they have a specific problem. Otherwise, they would never organise a check-up.
- The Great British public visits the dentist more regularly and routinely than almost any other country in Europe, with the exception of the Netherlands.
- That being said, somewhere in the region of 2% of the entire UK population has never been to see a dentist even once.
- Back in the 1978, up to 37% of UK adults had no natural teeth left in their mouths whatsoever. As of 2015, this had plummeted to no more than around 6%.
- The same also applies to how many adults across the United Kingdom have at least 21 natural teeth in their mouths. As of 1978, the figure came out at a rather disappointing 68%. As of 2015, it had climbed to a much more reassuring 86%.
- Less than 20% of the total British population has absolutely no fillings whatsoever. In addition, the average UK adult now has a minimum of seven fillings.
- It is estimated that somewhere in the region of one-third (or 31% to be precise) of adults in the UK have tooth decay to one extent or another.
- Incredibly, almost 75% of British adults have undergone at least one tooth extraction. In addition, somewhere in the region of 66% present visible signs of plaque buildup.
- While you may believe your own oral health care regime to be outstanding, experts would most likely disagree. In fact, a rather disappointing 11% of British women have what’s considered by experts to be ‘excellent oral health’ – the figure falling even lower to 9% for men.
- Close to one third (29%) of all adults admit that they suffer from dental pain on a regular basis, though more often than not do nothing about it.
- If you are not particularly happy with your teeth, you are certainly not the only one. In fact, research suggests that close to 50% of the total population is unhappy with its teeth – 64% citing tooth discoloration as their primary concern.
- Though routinely overlooked and ignored, mouth cancer is the 15th most common type of cancer for women on the 10th most common for British men.
- Somewhere in the region of one in every three children have signs of tooth decay by the time they start school.
- Pediatric tooth extractions are the number one reason why general anaesthetics are carried out on children in the United Kingdom.
- Great Britain has the highest rate of consumption of sugary soft drinks by children in the whole of Europe.
- Though oral health standards are improving, the number of children receiving treatment for tooth decay has increased by approximately 10% over the last five years.
- Incredibly, somewhere in the region of 40% of children are still not taken to the dentist on a regular basis.
- Last but not least, one in every 10 adults admit that they would cut corners on or avoid buying oral health products altogether for the sake of saving money.
