Are you suffering from tooth decay? Maybe you’re a nervous patient? If the answer is yes, then you’re certainly not the only one.
We understand that brushing our pearly whites twice daily and regular check-ups to our dentist are essential to keeping our teeth and gums healthy.
This, of course, true, but did you know that are so many other parts of our mouths and dental health that remain a complete enigma.
That’s why us good folks at Ewan Bramley Dental Care, a Newcastle dentist, would like to share our pick of the best, if not shocking truths, you probably won’t know about the state of our teeth and gums right here in the UK.
1) Only half us are happy with our smile
A survey from the British Dental Health Foundation found that discoloured or crooked teeth are by far the biggest reasons people are unhappy with their smiles. What’s more a third of people identified a good smile as the most important attribute when it comes to attractiveness.
2) One in ten would cross oral care products off their shopping list because of money
Keeping your smile maintained is relatively cheap with a tube of fluoride toothpaste costing as little as £1 and a toothbrush can be even cheaper, these should not be choices that people make, these should be necessities.
3) A third of children have tooth decay
An alarming figure and something that if something is not done will continue. It is also worth noting that an estimated quarter of a million primary school children has developed tooth decay.
4) British people don’t have the worst teeth! Hurray!
Interestingly enough, as renowned the Americans are for criticising the British and slapping us with the horrible mouth-hygiene joke research shows that a whopping 92 per cent of American adults show signs of tooth decay compared to 28 per cent in England. Maybe they should review their oral health routine!
5) Two-thirds of people think an employer won’t employ them because of bad teeth
When keeping your mouth healthy to get ahead at work means taking two minutes twice a day to brush your teeth, it is not much when you consider it. Four minutes or a prolonged period of tooth problems, dental work and pain and being overlooked at work, the choice is pretty simple really.
6) 74% Of all British adults have had a tooth removed
That works out to more than 60 million adults who have lost a tooth; it’s certainly keeping the dentists in business but just what happens to all of those removed teeth? This needs to and can be changed by regular visits to the dentist!
7) 27% of people only visit their dentist when they have a problem
More than half of us have admitted that we wished we had care for our teeth better and prevention is almost always better than cure, or so the idiom goes, this is certainly the case when it comes to teeth.
8) 14% of people are too scared to visit the dentist
Visiting the dentist ranked top in a poll on what make people nervous, this was more popular than people who found heights scary and nearly ten times as many people are nervous of visiting their dentist compared to their doctor.
9) Thousands of people each year in the UK die from mouth cancer
Cases of mouth cancer have increased by a third in the last decade yet awareness remains relatively low. Anyone can be affected by mouth cancer and although they are more common in people over 40 and men research has shown that mouth cancer is becoming more common in younger patients and women.
10) Only qualified professionals are allowed to carry out tooth whitening; it’s the law!
It is illegal for anyone other than a regulated dental professional to perform tooth whitening. You may see a sign up in your salon offering treatment but be warned this may lead to all kinds of trouble, and you are putting yourself at risk.
Here at Ewan Bramley Dental Care, we can offer you and your family a full range of general dentistry services and routine procedures, combined with outstanding patient care.
Our cosmetic and general dentistry services are designed to help children and adults of all ages achieve and maintain perfect teeth to keep you and your family smiling with confidence.
To set up a patient consultation and learn about our dental check-ups, family dentistry services, and routine procedures such as fillings, crowns, denture implants and root canal treatment, call our friendly team today on 0191 259 6506.
