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MORE THAN HALF of adults in Europe don’t have all of their own teeth, according to a new survey.
The pan-European survey was released by GSK and Wrigley and surveyed 3,500 Europeans. Of these, 70 per cent said they were happy with their dental health, but half said they don’t have all of their natural teeth.
When it comes to Ireland, Irish respondents admitted to less frequent tooth brushing, with 84 per cent not brushing their teeth or flossing after meals compared to EU figures.
Plus, 25 per cent of Irish people said they eat between brushing their teeth and going to sleep “most of the time”.
Dentist
When it comes to visiting the dentist every year, 40 per cent of respondents said that cost was the main reason for not going.
In Ireland, 52 per cent of people said this, followed by people in the UK (50 per cent), Poland (50 per cent), and Italy and Spain (48 per cent each).
Cost was less of a concern in Germany and France, where only 20 per cent of respondents felt that the cost of visiting the dentist was prohibitive.
Just over half of Irish respondents see a dentist once a year (lower than EU average 70 per cent) and 30 per cent less than every 2 years or never. The same amount said they take their children to the dentist regularly.
The most important aspect to dental health and hygiene was seen by Irish and EU respondents as “keeping your natural teeth”.
Smiles
What country in Europe was most concerned about their smiles? The Spanish – 66 per cent ranked a healthy smile as a priority, compared to just 33 per cent in France, the lowest of all European countries.
While 81 per cent of those surveyed said that keeping all of their natural teeth was their top oral health priority, only 49 per cent actually had all of their natural teeth.
Of the countries surveyed, Poland scored particularly low in this area, with 70 per cent of Polish respondents reporting that they were missing at least one of their natural teeth.
Oral healthcare
Over 80 per cent of participants said they believed regular teeth brushing helps prevent cavities and dental plaque. But did they act on this? Well, 32 per cent reported brushing their teeth fewer than the recommended two times per day.
When it comes to chewing sugar-free gum, 74 per cent of survey participants did not associate it with oral health benefits, even though sugar-free chewing gum has been proven to help neutralise plaque acids.
Flossing, which is also beneficial to oral health, was underutilised, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they never flossed, even though close to 60 per cent saw flossing as key to helping prevent gum infections.
While over half of people said they understood mouthwash’s value in preventing dental plaque and gum infections, 63 per cent said that they don’t use it daily.
A healthy, balanced diet is essential to good oral health. Survey participants reported having a strong understanding of things that have a positive impact on dental health (eg vegetables, dairy products and water), and those that have a negative impact (eg smoking, etc).
Dr Andrew Bolas, President of the Irish Dental Association, concluded:
Cavities and gum diseases are easily preventable by a healthy and balanced diet combined with regular dental check-ups and routine hygiene practices, including proper brushing and the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste, inter-dental cleaning, chewing sugar-free chewing gum after meals and snacking, and getting regular dental check-ups. These simple tools could improve Europeans’ oral and overall health quickly and cost-effectively.
Just got the highest electricity bill since the start of the inflation, though usage lower than year before.
@GoodBrother: Haven’t used any Gas since February yet the standing charge may aswell say i was …disgraceful
@Trent: Roughly a euro per day. No usage and still the bill is €60+. Before C-19 my gas bill used to be about €45 – 50 all in.
@GoodBrother: Really. Inflation has been creeping up for well over a year now, nearly 2. Unless you used zero electricity until this bill, or were locked into a really low tariff for almost 2 years, then I do not believe this is your highest bill since inflation started to rise.
@GoodBrother: I got probably one of my lowest one,since the smart meter went in my bills are going down,I can see what is driving my bill.
We are now the most expensive country in Europe to live in. I never imagined we’d be more pricey than Switzerland or Norway. Thank you, FFG. Also on track to become the most obese.14 million each day for our national debt of $250 billion. Third-world heat care systems. the capital’s inner city is rife with violence and drugs. As a country, we are regressing.
Worked hard all my life as a chef to save enough for my own buisness watching it all dwindled away look after there own big hotels cashing in a fortune on migrants while the small tourists buisness get a slap on the face .
There is no end to being RIP of Ireland
@Paul Maguire: unless you are a dole merchant, then you get everything paid for ,
@James Moylan: Said the Kerry man to the bull.
Stop voting FF/FG ye thick muppets, let SF in, we need a change..but in all fairness this open door my documents, come in my friends has to stop. I was walking around Ennis, Co Clare the other, For a bit I thought I was in the suburbs of Mogadishu, only the rip off cost of a pint and newspaper brought me back to drizzleville.
@will o bdee: The shiners will be the same, they will be forced to stay in line, easy to promise the Earth in opposition, but it will either be business as usual or populist policies will lead to medium to long term problems. either way, I cannot see it SF doing any better than the current shower of tool bags.
Mortgage through the roof. Extra 600 a month meant pulling kids outa 3rd level education…
@Monty Carlow: Go on the dole and get mortgage paid by state, medical card, plus many more perks including grants for third level etc. etc.
@paulinlavally@gmail.com: It was the Bankers and Developers that collapsed the Irish economy.
Greed rife at the moment. Could list crisis after crisis but I can’t be bothered
But yeah it was the guy on the dole.
Look up lad.
@Monty Carlow: get them to learn Ukrainian or Arabic ,free everything from then on
@Monty Carlow: do a deal with the bank and keep your kids in 3rd level. Education is the key to a decent job
@Monty Carlow: Must be a big mortgage,mine is going up €38 a month in September,hope you’re kids are working to help with college.
@Monty Carlow: go to the docks near customs during the night,row out some,rip up you’re passport row in early morning,say you’ve amnesia or lost you’re passport rowing,they’re lost on flights available when they’re boarding, lost when landing it’s amazing in a completely sealed aircraft how it can happen shouldn’t be hard to understand in a boat I’d imagine…
In who’s opinion? absolute rubbish,it’s through the roof and slowly but surely rising in different segments be it food, electricity and fuel which will again increase in october,perfect timing when kids go back to school and cold weather kicks in and people need heating oil which they’ve been putting off keeping they’re heads above water at present and we might get help with more money from government, what money? it’s all going up again they’ve said it already the payment won’t outway the cost to the average person we lose again.
Tighten your belts. Store tins of beans. This is the peak.
That’s complete media tripe. Are you trying to feed people carrots on sticks
Buy less
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