DT News - UK - Bad teeth stop Brits from smiling in photographs

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 25 June 2015

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LONDON, UK: Say “cheese”! Although it is meant to make people smile, this cue apparently induces the opposite in many British people. According to a new survey, eight out of ten worry about how their teeth look in photographs, with almost every second person wishing he or she could change the appearance of his or her dentition altogether.

The research, which was initiated by global health care company Bupa, surveyed 2,000 people on their dental habits and attitudes towards brushing their teeth. As the answers revealed, the British are far from being a tooth-proud nation. An astonishing 81 per cent of the respondents worried about the appearance of their teeth in photographs, with 28 per cent of them refusing to smile in pictures at all for fear of their teeth looking unattractive in photographs or on social media.

Fourty-two per cent of those polled confessed that their teeth were the number one thing they would change about themselves, 35 per cent admitted to being embarrassed about the appearance of their teeth and 63 per cent said they wished they were whiter and cleaner.

It would appear that the ever present sparkling celebrity teeth are fuelling these feelings of dental inadequacy, as 53 per cent said they feel pressured to have impeccable teeth because of those displayed by modern celebrities and public figures.

Shying away from smiling in photographs is one thing, but the British’s anxiety about their teeth appears to be linked to a serious lack of oral hygiene knowledge. Of those surveyed, 47 per cent admitted that they do not know how to brush their teeth properly. The poll further found that half of the respondents do not use mouthwash, 9 per cent share a toothbrush with someone else and, alarmingly, 29 per cent do not even use toothpaste. One in five also admitted that they regularly use chewing gum as a substitute for brushing their teeth.

Commenting on the research, Dr Steven Preddy, Dental Clinical Director of Bupa Dental Services, said: “Worryingly, our research highlights how many people are ignoring the art of brushing their teeth properly. Modern, state-of-the-art electronic toothbrushes and interdental tools provide a wealth of different ways to clean. So there should be no excuse for not brushing for two minutes twice every day, and in conjunction with seeing a dentist regularly, we encourage people not to neglect their teeth and gums!”

In terms of UK regions, respondents from South East England were the most responsible teeth cleaners with 74 per cent brushing twice daily as recommended, followed by Scotland (67 per cent) and Northern Ireland (64 per cent). The worst offending region was Yorkshire and the Humber region, where only 53 per cent of respondents brush twice a day.

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