1/4 of Irish Skip Brushing Teeth

Are you the kind of person who books a dentist appointment, flosses and brushes your teeth within an inch of your life before going to said appointment, and thinks you’re going to fool said dentist into falling for said last ditch attempt to make it appear as though you always take such good care of your delph? Yep, we’ve been there.

As tempting as it might be to fall asleep without having to haul ass to the toilet for a scrub on some drunken evenings, we need to take our dental hygiene more seriously. A new Irish study from Oral-B confirms that a quarter of all Irish adults skip brushing their teeth at least once per week. Not only this, one in three Irish adults have shared their toothbrushes with another person, further increasing their chances of developing dental diseases.

Getting up in the mornings is a task in itself but sticking to basic hygiene rules before you leave the house is evidently a challenge to many.?Despite the fact that many of us will admit to skipping or forgetting to brush our teeth at least once per week, the majority of Irish adults (75%) say they would be wary of bad breath if they’d skipped a brushing and over two-fifths (22%) of us would be reluctant to smile. While not brushing our teeth certainly has short term negatives such as less than desireable breath, it’s really the less obvious dental hygeine we need to be more careful about.

Despite believing that an electric toothbrush provides a better clean (67%) and removes plaque better than a manual brush (63%)?only a quarter of Irish adults use an electric toothbrush. Regardless of this, there is also good news: the advocacy for electric toothbrushes is evident?with 40% of Irish adults planning to switch their children to an electric toothbrush once they’re old enough.

Research also shows that, in the search for a perfect smile, 10% of Irish adults have had their teeth professionally whitened;?22% have tried whitening products at home.?Julia Roberts was named as the best female celebrity smile, with 30% of Irish adults believing she has the perfect smile. Our own?Amy Huberman came in close second scooping 21% of the vote.?George Clooney tops the poll for the best male celebrity smile with 38% admitting they go weak at the knees when he flashes those pearly whites.

For those who are unsure of the best practise, brush your teeth at least twice a day, morning and night. Be careful not to over-brush, risking damage to your gums. Avoid brushing more than three times per day. When brushing, take it easy on your teeth; spend two minute softly brushing as opposed to one minute of vigorous brushing. Avoid toothbrushes that are too hard on your teeth and gums and most of all, invest in a new one on the regular.